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US military Chief: Chiefs of (Coalition) Defense asserted need for joint action

WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (KUNA) -- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford said participants in the 3rd Counter Violent Extremist Organizations Chiefs of Defense Conference have asserted the importance of joint action for the sake of achieving peace.
"It's not about winning the war. It's about winning the peace," was a common expression echoed throughout the day by the leaders.
"What we've tried to do throughout the day is ensure that we have in context the role of the chiefs of defense," "One of the things that I think most of them will be more empowered to do when they return to their countries is describe the nature of the challenges we face and help craft more comprehensive solutions to deal with violent extremism," he added.
The officials discussed information and intelligence sharing, best practices, and when to take collective action, the chairman pointed out.
The chiefs "came prepared to engage and have a discussion," he said.
US Special envoy for the Coalition to Defeat the so-called Islamic State Brett McGurk commented, "The theme of the day is the conventional fight. While not over, we can see the endpoint. But that is not the end of the campaign. We talked about transitioning to a new phase really focusing on the stabilization and sustainment effort." In Syria, nations have announced USD 300 million in contributions over the last five months towards stabilization.
In Iraq, the US-led effort has trained over 170,000 security members.
"We had a good presentation today from the commander of the new NATO Training Mission to Iraq that will continue to professionalize the force," McGurk said.
The US announced USD 178 million for vulnerable communities in Iraq that were damaged by IS. (end).
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