An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.
Immediate Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper's Meeting with Iraqi National Security Advisor Falih Al-Fayyad

Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Jonathan R. Hoffman provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley met with Iraqi National Security Advisor Falih Al-Fayyad Tuesday at the Pentagon to reaffirm the strategic defense relationship between the United States and Iraq.

The leaders discussed mutual security concerns, including ongoing efforts to promote stability throughout the Middle East. 

They discussed a broad range of defense issues including ways to strengthen the bilateral relationship. The secretary reaffirmed U.S respect for Iraqi sovereignty and expressed appreciation for Iraqi support for the security of U.S. personnel in Iraq.  

Furthermore, Secretary Esper noted how the United States and Iraq are working together to defeat the common threat of ISIS and praised Iraqi security forces' continuing operations to dismantle ISIS networks, prevent an ISIS resurgence, and bring greater security to the Iraqi people.