WASHINGTON, July 11, 2016 — During his visit to Baghdad today, Defense
Secretary Ash Carter met with Iraqi leaders, coalition commanders and U.S. troops
and also announced that the United States, in close consultation with the Iraqi
government, will deploy an additional 560 troops to Iraq to assist in the fight against
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, according to a DoD news release.
“At every step in this campaign, we have generated and seized additional
opportunities to hasten ISIL’s lasting defeat,” Carter said. “These additional U.S.
forces will bring unique capabilities to the campaign and provide critical enabler
support to Iraqi forces at a key moment in the fight.”
Carter met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi and other Iraqi leaders,
commending them for recent progress in the fight against ISIL, including the
capture of a strategicin airfield near the town of Qayyarah that will aid operations
to free Mosul, the release said.
“With the retaking of Qayyarah West airfield, the Iraqi security forces have once
again demonstrated a serious will to fight,” the defense secretary said. “I
congratulate them on their recent successes and reaffirm that the United States,
along with our coalition partners, will continue to do all we can to support Iraq’s
effort to serve ISIL a lasting defeat.”