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U.S. Defense Secretary goes to Iraq as Mosul offensive continues

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, accompanied by Turkey's Defense Minister Fikri Isik (R), talks to media as he visits Turkish Parliament which was partly damaged during the July 15 coup attempt, in Ankara, Turkey, October 21, 2016. | REUTERS/Adem Altan

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter arrived in Baghdad on Saturday to meet with Iraqi Prime Minster Haider al-Abadi and assess the campaign in Mosul.

On Sunday, Carter met with Kurdish officials in Irbil to assure them that they will be provided with air resources to help them recapture Mosul. The defense secretary also reminded the international community to prepare for the reconstruction of the city.

"We need to make sure that the non-military campaign doesn't lag behind the coalition," said Carter. "My mind is already thinking ahead to the desperate need for stabilization and reconstruction," he added.

Carter revealed that one of his goals was to defend Europe and America against terrorist attacks from ISIS.

"I am very watchful about attacks on the homeland," he said on Saturday while he was in Baghdad. "My job is to make sure Americans sleep at night and that is what keeps me up at night," Carter continued.

The defense secretary also noted that American soldiers are still in harm's way even though Iraqi forces are leading the coalition. The first American to be killed in the operation was Navy Chief Officer Jason Finan, 34, from Anaheim, California.

Carter said that Finan's death "underscores a fact, which is what we are doing over here and what you are doing, is serious business."

There are currently about 5,000 American military personnel in Iraq and around 500 are outside U.S. bases. Between 100 to 200 U.S. special forces are helping the Kurdish and Iraqi army advance against ISIS.

Before his visit to Baghdad, Carter met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last Friday to talk about the need for military cooperation between the U.S. and Turkey.

The defense secretary is also trying to resolve the dispute between Iraq and Turkey over the involvement of Turkish forces in the Mosul offensive.

Erdogan reportedly demanded to take part in the battle last Tuesday. However, he warned that the Turkish troops in Northern Iraq will not take orders from the Iraqi government.

Abadi rejected the Turkish president's demand saying that the liberation of Mosul should be handled by the Iraqis.