Battle against Islamic State: US to give F-16 fighter jets to Iraqi forces along with 200 million dollars aid

By Newsgram Staff Writer

With the aim to combat Islamic State in Iraq, US President Barack Obama has decided to continue supporting Iraqi security forces with a humanitarian aid and military training.

According to reports from Xinhua News agency, Obama's talk on Tuesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is on a visit to the White House, comprised mainly of the ongoing fight against the Islamic State, the Syria-based militant group.

In a joint statement issued by the two countries at the conclusion of the talks Obama "pledged to continue to support Iraqi security forces and tribal engagement initiatives with US training and equipment."

"Success will not occur overnight, but what is clear is that we will be successful," Obama told reporters.

Obama further said that "Serious progress" was being made in pushing back the militants from the areas it had seized.

The joint statement said Abadi stressed the importance of " stabilising" areas liberated from the militant group, asking for assistance from Washington and the coalition to enable "immediate and long-term stabilisation" in these areas.

Obama on Tuesday announced an additional 200 million dollars in humanitarian aid to Iraq, as more than 2.6 million Iraqis have been internally displaced since January 2014.

Further, Washington is working on the delivery of F-16 fighters to Baghdad, with 30 Iraqi pilots being trained in the US.

Also some 3,000 American troops have been sent back to help train and advise the Iraqi and Kurdish forces after Obama ordered a complete troop withdrawal from the Arab country in 2011.

Before leaving for Washington DC, the Iraqi leader indicated that he would ask for stepped-up air raids on IS targets as well as US drones and other arms worth billions of dollars.