Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire comes into effect    Five survivors found day after Red Sea tourist boat sinking    Imran Khan supporters pushed back by security forces    Russia launched a record number of almost 200 drones toward Ukraine    King Salman calls for rain-seeking prayer on Thursday    Al Hilal advances to AFC Champions League knockout stage despite 1-1 draw with Al Sadd    Finance minister: All Vision 2030 projects have sustainable funding that won't affect public finances    Crown Prince announces medium-term debt strategy to diversify funding sources "A resilient economy capable of overcoming challenges reflects progress towards achieving Vision 2030 goals"    Riyadh Season draws 8 million visitors in 6 weeks    Alkhorayef highlights role of National Initiative for Global Supply Chains in boosting Saudi economy    Saudi Arabia signs investment deals worth SR35bn with foreign firms to strengthen global supply chains    Saudi Arabia unveils updates on Expo 2030 Riyadh master plan at 175th BIE General Assembly Riyadh Expo Development Company established to oversee strategic planning, operations, and legacy development    Saudi FM attends Quadripartite meeting on Sudan in Italy    Best-selling novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford dies    Cristiano Ronaldo's double powers Al Nassr to 3-1 win over Al Gharafa in AFC Champions League    Al Ahli edges Al Ain 2-1, bolsters perfect start in AFC Champions League Elite    Most decorated Australian Olympian McKeon retires    Adele doesn't know when she'll perform again after tearful Vegas goodbye    'Pregnant' for 15 months: Inside the 'miracle' pregnancy scam    Do cigarettes belong in a museum?    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Iraqi PM: Foreign troops not needed to fight Daesh group
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 03 - 12 - 2015

Iraq's prime minister has defended his country's security forces, saying they're capable of defeating the Daesh (the so-called IS) group without the help of foreign combat troops.
Haider Al-Abadi's statement late Tuesday came hours after US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress that a new special operations force will be deployed to Iraq to step up fighting against Daesh. The militant group controls a wide swath of Iraq and neighboring Syria.
"Iraqi special operations and anti-terrorism forces are playing an important role in the fight against Daesh terrorist gangs and proved their capability in targeting Daesh leaders and carrying out dangerous missions to retake vital areas," Al-Abadi said.
Al-Abadi said his country needs training, weapons and advice from the international community and not "foreign ground combat forces fighting on Iraqi soil."
But he left the door open for such a possibility.
"The Iraqi government underlines that any military operation or deployment of any foreign special or non-special forces in any part of Iraq can't be done without its approval, full coordination and with full respect to Iraqi sovereignty," he said.
Carter told the House Armed Services Committee that over time, the special operations force will be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture IS leaders. He said the number in the new expeditionary force would be more than 50. It would focus on helping Iraq defend its borders and build its security forces, but also be in position to conduct unilateral operations into Syria.
According to a US official, the force could total up to a couple hundred troops, including assault teams, aviation units and other support units. It would likely be based in Irbil, the capital of Iraq's self-ruled northern Kurdish region. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the individual was not authorized to publicly discuss military planning.
Carter said the force might be American-only, but more likely would be mixed with Kurdish troops or others who are fighting the militants. He said the new force would conduct operations similar to two from earlier this year.
In October, US special operations troops and Iraqi forces raided a compound in northern Iraq, freeing about 70 Iraqi prisoners who were facing execution. One US service member was killed in the raid, the first American combat death in Iraq since the US began its campaign against Daesh in August 2014.
In May, a Delta Force raid in Syria killed Daesh financier Abu Sayyaf, yielding intelligence about the group's structure and finances. His wife, held in Iraq, has been cooperating with interrogators.
There currently are about 3,300 US troops in Iraq, and President Barack Obama had previously announced he was sending fewer than 50 special operations forces to Syria.


Clic here to read the story from its source.