U.S. thanks Canada for Iraq trainers
OTTAWA — U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter has singled out his Canadian counterpart, Harjit Sajjan, for tripling its contingent of military trainers in Iraq in a conversation that reprised the defence minister’s past soldiering experience in Afghanistan, sources say.
The pivotal conversation marked the first face-toface meeting between the American and Canadian officials, and it came at Wednesday’s larger gathering of NATO defence ministers in Brussels.
The two-day NATO meeting comes just days after Ottawa announced its long-awaited new strategy for helping fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The Liberal government said it would follow through on its election promise to withdraw its six CF-18 fighter jets, which will stop bombing in Iraq and Syria by Feb. 22.
Instead, Sajjan joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and two other cabinet colleagues in announcing on Monday that Canada would triple its contingent of 69 special forces trainers currently working with northern Iraq’s Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.
The Carter-Sajjan meeting was significant because the government has faced heavy criticism for withdrawing its fighter jets. The opposition Conservatives have characterized the move as a step back- ward from the fight against ISIL terrorists.
Carter thanked Sajjan for Canada’s additional contribution of trainers as well as its plan to double its intelligence-gathering assets, according to a Canadian government official.
Carter told Sajjan the Canadian response is what the U.S. wants to see from other coalition members to step up the fight against ISIL on the ground, said Canadian officials.
A Pentagon statement said Carter told reporters travelling on his jet to Brussels on Tuesday that he would “be asking others at this meeting also to accelerate their efforts” in the fight against ISIL.
“But we’re looking for others to make a contribution as well,” Carter said, adding that some countries had already indicated a willingness to do more.
The ministers discussed Sajjan’s three tours of duty in Afghanistan, including one as a special adviser to an American general, the Canadian source said. “It was a departure from the usual scripted bilats [meetings],” said the source. “He was able to speak to his experiences working on the ground with Americans in Afghanistan.”
The very public American thank-yous resonated with the Liberal government in Ottawa. The Canadian official suggested the Conservatives should take note of the U.S. reaction.
BRUSSELS — NATO defence ministers on Wednesday approved new multinational reinforcements to beef up defences of frontline alliance members most at risk from Russia.
Jens Stoltenberg, the alliance’s secretary-general, said the plan adopted by the United States and NATO’s 27 other members calls for the use of troops from multiple countries who rotate in and out of eastern European member states rather than being permanently based there. He said military planners will make recommendations on the number and composition of troops needed this spring.
The soldiers “will be multinational to make clear that an attack against one ally is any attack against all allies and that the alliance as a whole will respond,” Stoltenberg told a news conference following the first session of the two-day defence ministers’ meeting.
Getting firm commitments, or even deciding how many NATO troops should be rotated eastward, may take time, however.
Douglas Lute, U.S. ambassador to NATO, said he expected defence ministers to agree on “a framework,” but that actual force levels will probably be hammered out only after consultations with NATO’s supreme commander in Europe, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove.
One NATO official told The Associated Press one proposal under consideration calls for the creation of a brigade-sized force — about 3,000 soldiers.
On Feb. 2, U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration announced its own plans to quadruple spending on U.S. troops and training in Europe.
U.S. officials say that if Congress approves the $3.4 billion proposal, it would mean yearround presence in Europe of an American brigade engaged in training, mostly in small units sent to the NATO members nearest Russia.
What’s more, enough tanks and other hardware would be stockpiled in advance to equip another U.S. armoured brigade whose troops could be airlifted to Europe in case of a crisis. Most of that equipment would be stored in Western Europe, rather than in countries closer to Russia.
Another NATO official said the U.S. hopes its European NATO partners will commit to new investments for deterrence that correspond to the increased funding and troops, equipment and training moves the Pentagon wants.
At Wednesday’s meeting, “many allies” announced how they intend to contribute to NATO’s enhanced presence in the east, Stoltenberg said, but declined to give details.