WASHINGTON –
Defense Secretary Ash Carter released statements last night
welcoming decisions by two coalition nations that he said would accelerate the
effort to bring about a lasting defeat to the Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant.
Poland announced that it will deploy 60 special operations
forces to Iraq, as well as four F-16s and associated personnel to Kuwait for
reconnaissance missions over Iraq and Syria. New Zealand will keep up to 143
trainers for the partner-capacity-building mission at Taji, Iraq, until
November 2018, will provide additional training of Iraqi security forces in
Besmaya, and will authorize the training of stabilization forces.
Global Threat Requires Global Undertaking
Last week, Carter said, he discussed with Polish Defense
Minister Antoni Macierewicz in Brussels and with New Zealand Defense Minister
Gerry Brownlee in Stuttgart, Germany, his belief that the lasting defeat of
ISIL must be a global undertaking, because ISIL is a global threat.
“Expanding the resources dedicated to the fight allows us to
further accelerate the campaign,” Carter said of Poland’s decision to expand
its counter-ISIL role. “I am grateful for the meaningful action of the Polish
government following the meetings last week, and for the commitment from the
Polish people to this fight.”
The secretary noted an earlier decision by New Zealand to
deploy a C-130 Hercules and up to 40 personnel to support coalition operations
and that New Zealand also has pledged $1 million in stabilization funding for
Iraq.
“I am grateful to the government of New Zealand and Minister
Brownlee for the decision to take these meaningful actions and to the people of
New Zealand for their staunch support in this fight,” Carter said.