German Defense Chief Visits Iraq’s Kurdish Region, Eyes New Strategy: "The German defense minister has visited her country’s troops in Iraq's Kurdistan region to determine the forces’ progress in the fight against Islamic State (IS) extremists and to prepare for a shift in strategy.
The visit on February 10 by Ursula von der Leyen comes as the German government is planning to switch its Iraqi strategy from training Kurdish forces to stabilizing the entire country through "capacity building," although details on the plan have not been revealed.
She said the role of Germany's forces in Iraq must evolve to meet the "needs of Iraq" after a "period of transition" following victory over the IS militant group in most parts of the country." Read More
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