(16 Dec 2015) LEAD-IN
The Iraqi Defence Minister has met with senior international coalition officers to discuss how to combat Islamic State group propaganda.
More than 150 foreign and Iraqi security experts also attended the conference in Baghdad.
STORY-LINE
Iraqi Defence Minister, Khalid al-Obeidi, sits amongst coalition officers and security experts to discuss how to address propaganda generated by the Islamic State group.
The International Military Conference on Psychological Operations to counter Daesh (acronym for Islamic State Group) Media is taking place in Baghdad.
IS has used social media and online platforms to publicise its beliefs and atrocities over the past few years.
Major General Chalmers is a British Army officer working alongside US forces as Deputy Commanding General of 3 US Core.
"This conference marks an important time for us the coalition to improve and increase our support to you the Iraqis in explaining to your population the victories and the manner of those victories to your population as Daesh are defeated. The key would be for us to be quicker with the truth because behind our media is the truth, behind the Daesh media is nothing but lies," he tells the delegates.
Eighty foreign and 75 Iraqi security experts are also taking part in the conference.
Brigadier General James Learmont, also a British officer working with the American military and Deputy Commanding General of Interoperability 82nd Airborne Division, is among them.
"We are here at the invitation of the government of Iraq and the Prime Minister and there is no intention from either the government of Iraqi or the international coalition to have troops on the ground. Our mission here, as mentioned, is to advise and assist and to provide support to the Iraqi security force," he says.
Britain has been carrying out airstrikes on IS targets in Iraq since September 2014.
It extended the operation to Syria at the beginning of December.
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