Kerry: Iraqi local forces to be trained over Daesh
US Secretary of State John Kerry says local forces in Iraq will receive training on how to take back lands under Daesh’s control in the country.
“We will continue targeting and taking out Daesh’s leaders, and we will train local forces to take and hold more ground,” Kerry said in Baghdad on Friday.
Kerry made the remarks at a news conference after he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, and the prime minister of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, Nechirvan Barzani.
He said that the Takfiri terrorists have become weaker, but their threats are still serious so the fighting against them should continue.
“Daesh is on the defensive – that is clear. But its capacity to inflict suffering regrettably still remains. That is also true. And we take very seriously the threat that it still poses.”
Kerry said that the Iraqi government should remain unified in order for the US-led coalition to be able to continue its campaign against Daesh.
“It is important to have a unified and functioning government as rapidly as possible in order to move forward, so that all of these operations are not affected and so that we give confidence to the coalition.”
Asked about plans for sending additional US troops to Iraq, he said that Baghdad has not made such a request, but added there had been some discussions about additional operations against Daesh in the country.
“Whatever troops we have in Iraq, whatever troops are committed to this effort, are at the request of the government of Iraq and at this point in time, I’m not aware that there’s some additional request.”
“I think there’s been some discussion about some additional operations, specifically from DOD (the Department of Defense),” Kerry said.
Daesh terrorists now control large parts of Iraq and Syria. In Iraq, the country’s armed forces have retaken some key towns and villages, including Tikrit and Baiji in Salahuddin Province and the city of Ramadi, the capital of the western province of Anbar.
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