Speaking to reporters at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation headquarters following a meeting with foreign ministers of the alliance Wednesday, Kerry said: “I called on every North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally to step up support in the fight against Daesh, striking at the organization’s core in Syria and Iraq”.
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He said several countries are bringing more to the battle or will do soon, but failed to outline any concrete new commitments.
While a number of European nations, such as Germany and Britain, have looked to boosting their participation in the campaign following the Paris attacks, many have opted not to engage in such direct ways as reconnaissance missions and airstrikes. Kerry also praised British Prime Minister David Cameron for his efforts to seek approval from parliament for airstrikes against ISIS militants in Syria. “They don’t necessarily have to be troops (engaged in) kinetic action”, Kerry said.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the U.S. is “prepared to expand” the role of Special Operations Forces in Syria.
“I think the world would welcome that kind of cooperative effort”, he said.
Kerry also played down any threat to Russian Federation from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which announced on Wednesday that it had invited Montenegro to be its 29th member despite warnings from Moscow which opposes NATO’s expansion eastwards.
Kerry said the US had “full and total respect” for al-Abadi’s leadership, and plans would go forward “in full consultation and with full consent of the Iraqi government”, the AP reported.
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He said the United States had asked other members of the 28-nation Western security alliance to provide special operations forces to provide such things as police training, ammunition and other items to Syria’s neighbors.
