Small Wars Journal

Iraq Says U.S. Vows to Speed Support in ISIS Battle

Tue, 03/21/2017 - 5:06am

Iraq Says U.S. Vows to Speed Support in ISIS Battle by Felicia Schwartz and Tamer El-Ghobashy, Wall Street Journal

The U.S. pledged Monday to speed up its support to Iraq in the fight against Islamic State, Iraq’s prime minister said following a White House meeting with President Donald Trump.

“We have been given assurances that the support will not only continue but accelerate,” Haider al-Abadi said at an event at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a Washington-based think tank.

Mr. Abadi spoke shortly after he left a meeting with Mr. Trump and other senior officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, senior presidential adviser Jared Kushner and national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster.

His consultations came as the Trump administration is evaluating its approach to confronting Islamic State and other extremist groups in the Middle East and reviewing options that may include sending more troops to help advise local forces. It has already loosened some battlefield rules, including by giving some commanders more authority on the ground…

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