U.S. Dept of Defense
Rudaw English
As we were noting last night, Secretary of State John Kerry can go everywhere except where he's needed (Iraq).
CTV NEWS notes, "This is Carter's fourth trip to Iraq as Pentagon chief, and his second in three months, to assess the campaign to oust Islamic State militants from the country." Carter assumed office in February of 2015 (and he's Barack's fourth Defense Secretary).
Of the visit, Corey Dickstein (STARS AND STRIPES) reports:
Carter said he’d be speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defense Minister Khaled al-Obaidi about the “next plays in the campaign” and how the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve coalition can continue to accelerate the Iraqi security forces’ progress. This would include embedding advisers at smaller-unit levels as they near Mosul. He’ll also discuss planning with the president of autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan, Masoud Barzani.
AP adds, "A senior defense official said it’s not clear when U.S. advisers would begin accompanying the battalions closer to the battlefront. But it could be in the coming weeks and months. The U.S. officials said a team of American troops went into Qayara for a quick site assessment Sunday and left." KUNA notes that "Canada's Defense Minister Harjit Saggan arrive in Iraq Monday" and has already met with the Defense Minister Khaled al-Obaidi."
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Iraq
