MP says Iraqi soldiers must take the fight to Islamic State
Over the weekend, the Secretary of State for Defence, Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, announced that hundreds of British troops will be sent to Iraq in the New Year. They will join the roughly 50 British troops already stationed there, and will be involved in training up the Iraqi Army and Kurdish forces. This will form part of Britain’s strategy for defeating the so-called Islamic State (IS). However, the troops will not be sent in a combat role.
John said,
“Given our debt to the Iraqi people following our misguided invasion in 2003, this increase in the number of British training staff is welcome. All accept that Western air strikes alone are insufficient to defeat IS, as there is no substitute for soldiers when taking and holding ground. It is right that Britain, together with our allies, plays its part in bolstering the Iraqi Army.”
“However, we must guard against mission creep, and strongly resist any temptation to be drawn into combat. It is essential that Iraqi forces take the fight to IS – if nothing else, the propaganda value to the Islamists would otherwise be immense.”
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