Army chief to take part in anti-Daesh meeting in US

AMMAN — King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben on Monday left to the US to participate in the meeting for the ministers of defence of member states in the coalition against Daesh.

A statement by the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army said Zaben was invited by US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter to attend the meeting. 

Zaben is also scheduled to meet with ministers of defence and senior military leaders during the visit, the statement said. 

On July 12, the US Department of Defence said in a statement posted on its website that Carter would host ministers of defence and other senior leaders from nations of the anti-Daesh coalition and from NATO at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on July 20 to discuss the ongoing military campaign against the terror group. 

The statement said that defence ministers   from 34 nations plus NATO have been invited to attend the second meeting of  countries contributing forces or bases to the anti-Daesh coalition. 

"The meeting comes at a significant moment in the anti-Daesh campaign," said the statement adding the meeting follows Carter's visit to the region earlier this month. 

The meeting will discuss progress to date, the essential next steps in the campaign and how the nations of the coalition can accelerate the drive to deal Daesh a lasting defeat, the Pentagon said.