The U.S.-led military coalition’s fight against the Islamic State militant group entered a new phase on Wednesday, with defense ministers from the seven countries most heavily involved in the operation pledging to continue fighting and look for ways to more aggressively target the group.
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The prime minister made his request during talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter this week at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. “I’m sure we’ll manage, but I want to speed up this process”, – said Carter. “So I think the Turks could do more”. The two-day conference is being attended by delegations from more than 40 countries, among them parliament speakers from Kuwait, Syria, Iran, Somalia, Tunisia, Turkey, Algeria, Pakistan, Mali and the Sudan.
That’s because it reinforces the idea that neither the White House nor Republicans have a clear strategy, says Anthony Cordesman, a defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
The Pentagon is now pushing Iraq to launch an assault to recapture the city of Mosul from IS, and US Colonel Warren said Iraqi security forces would need help from “hundreds” of Western military trainers to do so.
Sunni Arab nations have largely dropped out of the air campaign against Islamic State since previous year joining a Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The meeting in Paris included defence ministers from the United States, Australia, Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
The “among others” notably does not include Arab partners, though Carter has said that they are the key to a successful campaign.
This undated file image posted on a militant website on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014 shows fighters from the al-Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) marching in Raqqa, Syria.
The US has delivered greater support for French deployment in the sub-Saharan Sahel region, providing intelligence, observation and logistical support, Le Drian said.
The official was not authorized to talk about the discussions publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Some of those militants have joined the Daesh group. Russian Federation argues it is attacking IS and other terrorist groups. “We take that as a positive indicator that we’re starting to hit them where it hurts”.
Critics of US policy toward Islamic State, including many USA lawmakers, complain that the Obama administration has been weak and unfocused in the fight against the terrorists. And while he’s grateful for Turkey hosting a base for USA aircraft, he said, Turkey must do more, based on its pivotal position bordering Iraq and Syria.
The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group’s ability to project terror and conduct operations.
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“Just as I am asking everybody else in the coalition to step up and do more… just as the United States military is doing more, so we would like to see Turkey to do more also”.
