US and allied forces are “on a missions” to promote a peace deal between Iraq and its neighbours, the head of the American military said.
US Central Command Commander Gen James Amos said the mission “targets a peaceful outcome in Iraq” and is “in line with our commitment to ensure the safety and security of our nation and the region”.
Gen Amos also said US troops would “be ready to engage” with any local forces or militias that support the Iraqi government. “
The mission has an impact on the region and across the globe, and we remain committed to promoting peace in our region and in the region in general.”
Gen Amos also said US troops would “be ready to engage” with any local forces or militias that support the Iraqi government.
He said US and Iraqi troops will be “out of the fight” by March, but added that the two countries are “continuing to work together to address the challenges of the future”.
Gen David Rodriguez said he was “proud of the progress we have made”, and called on Iraqis to “continue to work with us” in the face of ISIL.
“I have seen the tremendous progress we are making, and I’m proud of the success of our troops in the fight against ISIL,” he said.
Gen Rodriguez said that since June 2014, Iraqi forces have seized control of an area of Iraq that includes Mosul and Tikrit, and that they have made significant progress in freeing “our brothers and sisters from ISIL.” “
There is still work to be done to keep the people and our cities safe, but the hard work has been very good.”
Gen Rodriguez said that since June 2014, Iraqi forces have seized control of an area of Iraq that includes Mosul and Tikrit, and that they have made significant progress in freeing “our brothers and sisters from ISIL.”
He said the US military will continue to support the Iraq government in this mission.
Gen Rodriguez, who is in Baghdad for the first time since the US-led invasion in 2003, said the country has “the largest number of US military bases in the world”.
He said Iraqi forces had made significant gains, and have freed several Iraqi cities, including Fallujah, the capital of Anbar province.
“These are important steps, but we cannot just be happy with the progress being made,” he added.
Gen Amos did not give details about what steps US troops have taken since June, but he said the “greatest” progress has been made in freeing Anbar and the province of Nineveh.
“Iraqi forces are now on the ground in a much better position to deal with ISIL and they are taking these advances seriously,” he told reporters.
“It is important to note that our forces are on a missions to promote an outcome in this region, which will help achieve our security objectives.”
The White House said the deployment of US troops to Iraq would continue until the end of April, and the US will also be supporting the Iraqis in “supporting the government in Baghdad, and working with our allies”.
Gen Rodriguez also said that a number of Iraqi officials were “trying to build trust” with the US, and would be in Baghdad to visit US troops in March.
He added that Iraq will also have access to US air bases and other assets in the country, and it will have access for humanitarian purposes.
Gen Rodricks comments come as Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has accused the United States of using Iraq to build “terrorism”, and he called for an independent investigation into the use of weapons and other weapons in Iraq.
The US and UK said they would provide intelligence and training to Iraqi forces, and Gen Rodriguez was due to visit Baghdad later on Tuesday.