NATO's Intent to Join the US-Led Coalition Against Jihadist Groups

Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, announced that the organization will join the US-led international coalition against jihadist Islamist groups. On Thursday, June 4, prior to a NATO leaders' summit that will include US President Donald Trump, Stoltenberg stated that NATO's participation in the coalition would send a 'strong political message about NATO's commitment to fighting terrorism.' He also noted that NATO will not engage in combat operations against the Islamic State or other jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, but that NATO AWACS aircraft will increase their operations against jihadist positions, and NATO's training programs in Iraq will also be expanded. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has pressured NATO for greater involvement in the fight against extremist Islamist groups. NATO, a military and security alliance consisting of 28 powerful countries, had previously seen its member states join the US-led coalition against extremist Islamist groups in Syria and Iraq individually, but NATO as an organization had not entered the coalition. Donald Trump arrived in Brussels, the capital of Belgium and NATO's headquarters, on Wednesday, June 3, to push the organization for a more active role in the coalition. After arriving in Brussels, Trump stated that the recent attack in Manchester, UK, demonstrated how 'serious the threat is' and that 'the fight against terrorism must be won.' According to diplomatic sources cited by AFP, some NATO member countries, such as France, Germany, and Italy, previously believed that NATO should not join the US-led coalition, as this would increase the likelihood of ground troop involvement, but these concerns have now been alleviated.