Sweden gov’t seeks to dispatch troops to Iraq to train local forces
The Swedish government has announced its intention to dispatch military trainers to Iraq to join the US-led operations against the purported positions of the ISIL Takfiri militant group inside the Arab country.
The government said on Thursday that 35 military trainers will be sent to Iraq following a parliamentary approval, and will provide training to Iraqi security forces in the fight against ISIL.
“Cooperation against terrorism is the key to success. Sweden will continue to support these common efforts,” Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist said in an op-ed piece published in the daily Dagens Nyheter on Thursday.
The two ministers also said that the proposed dispatch of the military forces is in response to a request from the Iraqi government, underlining that the force could be expanded to include 120 troopers if the situation in Iraq deteriorates and the need arises.
Meanwhile, Belarus has offered to sell weapons and military equipment to Iraq in a deal that could help curb militant threats across the Arab country.
At a meeting with visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari in Minsk on Thursday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country was willing to supply Baghdad with advanced weapons and military technology.
Since September 2014, the US and some of its regional allies have been conducting airstrikes against purported ISIL targets inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate. This is while many of the countries joining the coalition, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been the staunch supporters of the Takfiri elements fighting against the Syrian government.
The airstrikes by the US and its allies are an extension of the US-led aerial campaign against what are said to be ISIL positions in Iraq, which started in August 2014.
The ISIL terrorists currently control parts of territory across Syria and Iraq. They have committed heinous atrocities in both countries, including mass executions and beheading of local residents as well as foreign nationals.
MP/HJL/MHB
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