US Defence Secretary: Bahrain key regional partner

Manama, Dec. 10 (BNA): The US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter affirmed that Bahrain is considered as an key partner in the region as it has strong relations with the USA and is host to the Fifth Fleet and the Central Command. Speaking in the first work session of Manama Dialogue, currently hosted by Bahrain, he stressed that the USA accords enormous importance to protecting the interests of its friends, partners and allies with whom it shares many visions. He pointed out his country's readiness to brave potential challenges, adding that 50,000 American soldiers are deployed in the region, including 5000 in Iraq and Syria assisting in deterring "Daesh" (IS) and preventing its expansion. The US Defence Secretary reiterated his country's respect to its friends, partners and allies, underlining keenness to protect their interests and the US nationals. He noted that new batches of air forces will also join the 50,000 soldiers already deployed to boost the US defence capabilities, deter violence, protect the Americans and the interests of friends and allies as well as ascertain of Iran's activities and facilitate movement in sea exits. The US Defence Secretary said relations between the USA and countries in the region are long-standing as the American interests are in tune with the interests of those countries. He added that the focus now is on defeating "Daesh" (IS), pointing out the efforts made by the coalition forces to end its hegemony in Al-Raqqah and Mosul. He emphasized the need to eradicate the ideology of the organization which will help a lot in combating it. He said the strategic approach of the military campaign and all the efforts made to defeat "Daesh" will yield results, pointing out that the Turkish operations are helping in protecting the Turkish-Syrian borders and ensuring they are not used by the terror organization. The US Defence Secretary said 200 extra US troops, including experts in explosives, will join the US forces in Syria to continue training and organizing the forces in their war against "Daesh". He added the inevitable defeat of the organization in Iraq will put it on the track of final defeat. Yet, he noted, fighting its fighters must continue to prevent them from re-building themselves. He also asserted that success against "Daesh" in Iraq and Syria is essential but not enough to defeat the organization once forever. The US Defence Secretary praised the decades-long relations between the USA and the countries in the region, pointing out that those relations were built on friendship and coalitions.