Haider al-Abadi’s statement late Tuesday came hours after U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter told Congress that a new special operations force will be deployed to Iraq to step up fighting against IS.
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Carter said the force will be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture IS leaders.
The official said progress on the ground by Iraqi and Kurdish forces, as well as by U.S.-backed opposition fighters in Syria, has also given intelligence officials a chance to learn more about the terror group and its vulnerabilities.
“While we welcome this support, we emphasize any such support and special operations anywhere in Iraq can only be deployed subject to the approval of the Iraqi Government and in coordination with the Iraqi forces and with full respect to Iraqi sovereignty”. More are on the way.
ISIL is another name for the Islamic State, the extremist group that remains dug in across Iraq and Syria despite more than a year of US and allied air strikes.
Reuters reported that al-Abadi commented on usa decision to deploy a new force of special operations troops to Iraq to conduct raids against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization there and in neighboring Syria.
During the congressional testimony in which he disclosed the creation of the force, Carter declined to say how many United States troops would be deployed.
Carter also hinted he might send additional special forces to Syria, beyond the 50 already disclosed. We are managing 3,500 because that’s the number of troops that the president has approved to date, but I can assure you that I don’t feel at all inhibited in making recommendations that would cause us to grow greater than 3,500. A Gallup survey said that 47 percent of Americans favored sending more ground troops to Iraq and Syria and 46 percent were opposed.
Carter noted the recent Kurdish victory over ISIS in Sinjar, Iraq, explaining that such a win effectively cut off the line of communication between the Islamic State’s stronghold in Raqqa, Syria, and the other city it controls: Mosul, Iraq.
Whatever the number, one senior official told NBC News, “this cracks open the door” for US combat operations in Iraq and Syria. He said USA partners in the region, including North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member Turkey, should receive defensive assistance. “And that’s the sensation we want all of ISIL’s leadership and followers to have”. It would also be in position to conduct unilateral operations into Syria.
Canberra never tires of repeating it remains the second largest contributor to the fight against IS behind the United States, and would expect other U.S. allies, including regional powers to contribute more.
“We have the long reach that no one else has”, Carter said.
Carter offered few details on the new group, whose mission promises a more regular operational role for USA special forces than seen since the return of American troops to Iraq past year.
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“It will be… probably around 100, maybe a little bit less”, said Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led military campaign against Islamic State.
