Description
(22 Aug 2017) US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday he is confident that US-backed Iraqi forces will finish off the Islamic State militants clinging to strongholds that are shrinking in size and number.Speaking to reporters in Baghdad after meeting with Iraqi government leaders including Defence Minister Irfan al-Hayali, Mattis reiterated America's support for Iraq.Mattis had arrived in the Iraqi capital hours after President Donald Trump outlined a fresh approach to the stalemated war in Afghanistan. Trump also has pledged to take a more aggressive, effective approach against IS in Iraq and Syria, but he has yet to announce a strategy for that conflict that differs greatly from his predecessor's.Later on Tuesday, Mattis flew into Irbil and met with Massoud Barzani, leader of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region that has helped fight IS.The US has expressed its opposition to an upcoming Kurdish referendum on independence from Iraq.You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you... Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Tags
AP Archive 4112108 e120ffce86b5a2a04721352fac29111a Iraq Mattis 3 Baghdad Iraq Middle East Massoud Barzani James Mattis Donald Trump Government and politics