Islamic State crisis: Austrailian special forces get Iraq clearance
Australian special forces are finally moving into Iraq more than a month after arriving in the Middle East. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the 200 troops would be helping Iraqi forces in the fight against Islamic State (IS). A prolonged legal and administrative process in Iraq meant the troops had been waiting for clearance in […]Australian special forces are finally moving into Iraq more than a month after arriving in the Middle East. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the 200 troops would be helping Iraqi forces in the fight against Islamic State (IS). A prolonged legal and administrative process in Iraq meant the troops had been waiting for clearance in the United Arab Emirates since September. Fighter jets from the Royal Australian Air Force joined the US-led coalition bombing IS targets in Iraq in October. IS militants currently control large swathes of both Iraq and Syria, having launched a major offensive in the region in June. Mr Abbott made the announcement about the special forces after talks with US President Barack Obama during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit in Beijing. He said the troops would initially deploy to Baghdad before moving into the field.
