Overnight at the APEC leaders’ summit in Beijing, US president Barack Obama indicated to Tony Abbott that he would like Australia to deploy more troops to the fight against ISIS in Iraq.
News Limited report that, at a meeting at the US embassy, Abbott pledged that Australia would do “all it could” to assist in and supplement the United States’ ongoing effort.
A formal request has not yet been made, but it appears likely that Australia will be asked to commit 200 further “training troops” – special forces soldiers tasked with “non-combat, advisory roles” – to Iraq.
It is believed that the US will request this new round of troops to assist in projects like the establishment of training camps to assist Iraqi and Kurdish forces in defending “key towns and regions where they have been forced to retreat from advancing IS armies.”
The first Australian troops to the conflict will be deployed to Iraq from the UAE this month.
Photo: Mandel Ngan via Getty Images
