Hagel in Baghdad to Review Anti-’ISIL’ War

Local Editor

US War Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday.

According to US sources, Hagel seek to consult with Iraqi government officials and confer with US commanders about the campaign to defeat "ISIL" militants.

Hagel, on what is expected to be his last overseas trip as Pentagon chief, landed at the Baghdad international airport under tight security. He is the first US war secretary to visit Iraq since Leon Panetta was here in December 2011 to mark the end of the US military mission.

Hagel said Monday during a visit to Kuwait that he believes Iraq's security forces have gained a new momentum, thanks in part to sustained US airstrikes against "ISIL" militants.

Hagel was scheduled to meet in Baghdad with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other government officials.
During his stop in Kuwait, Hagel said the "ISIL" group remains a formidable threat, not only to Iraq but also to neighboring Iran and other countries in the region. He also suggested that Iran has reason to be concerned about the long-term ambitions of "ISIL".

"They are threatened by ISIL, just like every government in the Middle East is clearly threatened by ISIL," Hagel said, using an alternative acronym for the extremist group.
US officials said last week that Iran had recently conducted airstrikes in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala.

The top US commander for the military campaign against "ISIL" said in Kuwait Monday that ISIS fighters had lost the initiative in Iraq.

Lt. Gen. James Terry said the militants had far less ability to generate the kind of ground maneuvers that enabled them to capture large chunks of Iraq earlier this year.

In his first extensive interview since taking command of the counter-militant campaign in October, Terry told a small group of reporters that "ISIL" is "on defense, trying to hold what they have gained." He added that the group, which is armed with tanks and other US-made war equipment captured from the Iraqi army, is "still able to conduct some limited attacks."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team