Home
US says Iraqi army needs Peshmerga to defeat IS
5/28/2015
White House: Iraqi Army Needs Peshmerga and Sunnis to Defeat Islamic State "Iraq needs multi-sectarian force to fight IS," says White House spokesman
WASHINGTON Iraq needs a multi-sectarian force to fight Islamic State (IS) militants in the country, the White House said on Tuesday. “We can’t just see Shi’ite Iraqi security forces fighting in Shi’ite parts of the country, but rather, that we need to see a multi-sectarian force that’s being deployed to every area of that country to protect it and to counter the threat from ISIL (IS),” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.
Iraq, he said, would require a central government that is committed to governing the country in an inclusive fashion against IS insurgents.
“We have seen Iraqi Prime Minister follow through on those commitments in the first nine months or so that he has been in office, that he has sought to unite that country to govern in a multi-sectarian fashion,” he said.
With IS gaining control over new areas in the country, sounding alarm bells in the US and its allies, Earnest said what will be critical to the success of the Iraqi people in facing the IS threat is pulling the diversity of that country together to stand up to it.
“That’s going to start with the political leadership in Iraq. The previous Prime Minster [Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki] had governed that country in a sectarian fashion that left the Sunni elements of the population and even some of the Kurdish elements of the population convinced that he wasn’t particularly interested or vested in their security or in their security needs,” he said.
“There are also differences when it comes to economic policy, too, and that there were some concerns about government funds and investment from the central government in the Kurdish and Sunni areas of the country,” he added.
The US, he said, has a coalition of more than 60 countries against IS “and we continue to be in regular touch with our partners about steps that they can take to support our ongoing strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.
“Whether that is a military contribution, or a contribution to the training effort or the ongoing effort to shut down the flow of foreign fighters, or to counter ISIL’s messaging online, that there is a variety of elements to this strategy.
“And we certainly welcome the contribution that we have received from so many members of our coalition,” Earnest said
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
5/28/2015
White House: Iraqi Army Needs Peshmerga and Sunnis to Defeat Islamic State "Iraq needs multi-sectarian force to fight IS," says White House spokesman
WASHINGTON Iraq needs a multi-sectarian force to fight Islamic State (IS) militants in the country, the White House said on Tuesday. “We can’t just see Shi’ite Iraqi security forces fighting in Shi’ite parts of the country, but rather, that we need to see a multi-sectarian force that’s being deployed to every area of that country to protect it and to counter the threat from ISIL (IS),” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.
Iraq, he said, would require a central government that is committed to governing the country in an inclusive fashion against IS insurgents.
“We have seen Iraqi Prime Minister follow through on those commitments in the first nine months or so that he has been in office, that he has sought to unite that country to govern in a multi-sectarian fashion,” he said.
With IS gaining control over new areas in the country, sounding alarm bells in the US and its allies, Earnest said what will be critical to the success of the Iraqi people in facing the IS threat is pulling the diversity of that country together to stand up to it.
“That’s going to start with the political leadership in Iraq. The previous Prime Minster [Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki] had governed that country in a sectarian fashion that left the Sunni elements of the population and even some of the Kurdish elements of the population convinced that he wasn’t particularly interested or vested in their security or in their security needs,” he said.
“There are also differences when it comes to economic policy, too, and that there were some concerns about government funds and investment from the central government in the Kurdish and Sunni areas of the country,” he added.
The US, he said, has a coalition of more than 60 countries against IS “and we continue to be in regular touch with our partners about steps that they can take to support our ongoing strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.
“Whether that is a military contribution, or a contribution to the training effort or the ongoing effort to shut down the flow of foreign fighters, or to counter ISIL’s messaging online, that there is a variety of elements to this strategy.
“And we certainly welcome the contribution that we have received from so many members of our coalition,” Earnest said
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
