Readout of Secretary Carter's Meeting with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain
Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook provided the following readout
Secretary Carter met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain today during his second visit to Bahrain as secretary of defense. The two discussed the strength of the U.S.-Bahraini defense relationship, the enduring nature of the U.S. presence in Bahrain, and the steadfast U.S. commitment to regional security. Secretary Carter noted his appreciation for Bahrain's continued support for U.S. personnel, and especially for the long-standing support for U.S. Naval Support Activity - Bahrain.
Secretary Carter also updated King Hamad on the counter-ISIL coalition's progress toward Mosul and Raqqa. Secretary Carter noted that Bahrain's support of the coalition was a critical component of the campaign's successes. King Hamad and Secretary Carter also agreed on the need to focus not only on battlefield victories, but also on winning the peace by focusing on reconstruction, stabilization, and reconciliation after ISIL is driven from Iraq and Syria.
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