Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s Meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
Jan. 22, 2016

Press Secretary Peter Cook provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi today on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. They discussed recent progress in the counter-ISIL campaign. The secretary reinforced the United States commitment to intensify the fight against ISIL, working closely with the government of Iraq. Secretary Carter congratulated the prime minister on the Iraqi Security Forces’ success in Ramadi but acknowledged there is still tough fighting ahead. They discussed the next steps in the campaign including the upcoming meeting of Counter-ISIL coalition defense ministers in Brussels. They emphasized the importance of maintaining pressure on ISIL forces on multiple fronts. They also agreed that the training of local police forces will be a critical need as the fight against ISIL advances. This meeting comes one month after Secretary Carter visited Iraq and met with U.S. service members serving in both Erbil and Baghdad.