- Title: U.S. Defense Secretary Carter in Erbil for Mosul offensive talks
- Date: 11th December 2016
- Summary: ERBIL, IRAQ (DECEMBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** U.S. AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT TAXIING ON RUNWAY KURDISTAN AND IRAQ FLAGS FLYING KURDISTAN PRESIDENT MASSOUD BARZANI WALKING TO GREET U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY ASH CARTER HONOUR GUARDS COMING TO ATTENTION BARZANI SHAKING HANDS WITH CARTER HONOUR GUARD STANDING TO ATTENTION BARZANI AND CARTER WALKING ON RED CARPET TO VIP LOUNGE CARTER GIVING HONORARY CERTIFICATE TO KURDISH PESHMERGA CARTER SPEAKING PESHMERGA SOLDIERS LOOKING ON CARTER POSING FOR PICTURE WITH BARZANI AND PESHMERGA U.S. DELEGATION ACCOMPANYING CARTER TALKING
- Embargoed: 26th December 2016 19:21
- Keywords: Erbil Iraq Mosul Ash Carter Defense Secretary talks military
- Location: ERBIL, IRAQ
- City: ERBIL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA0015CFWAIV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter arrived in Erbil on Sunday (December 11) for talks with Iraqi Kurdish leaders on the U.S.-backed military campaign against Islamic State militants in Mosul.
Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition and Kurdish Peshmerga units, have been battling Islamic State in Mosul for eight weeks. The forces have recaptured about a quarter of the city, but have faced major counter attacks by the retreating jihadists.
Carter said last week the battle for Mosul, while hard, could be complete before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. However, that would require a significant acceleration in the Iraqi army's progress.
Carter met Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad and flew later in the day to the Kurdistan region where he met with the president of the Kurdish region Massoud Barzani and the commander of the U.S.-led coalition supporting Iraqi forces, U.S. Lieutenant-General Steve Townsend. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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