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Hagel to discuss 'IS' in Iraq

December 9, 2014

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has arrived in Iraq as the US seeks to increase momentum against the militant "Islamic State" group. It is likely to be the departing secretary's last official visit to the war-torn country.

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US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 16, 2014 in Washington, DC (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Image: Getty Images/C. Somodevilla

Hagel arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Tuesday under heavy security. He is the first US secretary of defense since Leon Panetta to have visited the Gulf state. His predecessor went to the Middle Eastern country in 2011 to mark the end of the US military mission.

Hagel is scheduled to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi and other government officials on his unannounced visit.

The US is leading a campaign of air strikes against the Sunni militant group "Islamic State" (IS), targeting the jihadist outfit in parts of Syria and Iraq. IS has taken over swathes of areas in the two countries, and its brutal killings of foreign journalists and aid workers have shocked the world.

During his brief stop over in neighboring Kuwait, the defense secretary lauded the efforts of the Iraqi forces to thwart the IS advance. He, however, warned the militant organization remained a formidable threat not only to Iraq but also to other countries in the region, including the US rival Iran.

"This is a long term effort. It is difficult. There will be setbacks. There will be victories. So, I think that's where we are, and I look forward to getting some first-hand assessments," the Pentagon chief told reporters on Monday.

Lt. Gen. James Terry, the top US commander for the military campaign against IS, said on Monday the jihadists were "on defense" and that their ability to capture territories through ground offensives had been curtailed.

US President Barack Obama has ruled out the option of sending ground combat troops to Iraq to aid local forces in the battle against IS.

shs/rc (AP, Reuters)