Anti-IS campaign must be accelerated, U.S. defense chief says

PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States is pressing allies on Thursday, February 11 to contribute more to a U.S.-led military campaign against Islamic State that it says must be accelerated, regardless of the fate of diplomatic efforts to end Syria's civil war, Reuters reports.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, speaking to reporters ahead of his talks, sought to draw a line between military and diplomatic efforts.

"Our focus here is going to be on counter-ISIL and that campaign will go on because ISIL must be defeated, will be defeated, whatever happens with the Syrian civil war," Carter told reporters, using an acronym for Islamic State. "But it certainly would help to de-fuel extremism if the Syrian civil war came to an end."

The United States hopes the face-to-face gathering of coalition defense ministers will allow it to secure more support for a military campaign that aims to recapture the Islamic State strongholds of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.

Carter plans to offer a long list of required military capabilities -- which, beyond air power, include training Iraqi forces and help with intelligence and surveillance. Carter said countries that cannot contribute militarily can help in other ways, like by choking Islamic State financing, Reuters says.

"This is a terrific opportunity to have the acceleration that the United States and President Obama has committed to reinforced by all of the military members of the coalition," Carter said.