NATO's next stage of Iraq training mission authorized

The training mission of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Iraq will soon be growing in size after the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General James Jones, was authorized to start the next stage of its expansion, said a NATO press release on Friday.

The directive from the North Atlantic Council, the decision-making body of the alliance, came as NATO's foreign ministers met in Brussels on Dec. 9.

In the current expansion of what will be known as the Iraq Training Mission, Iraq (NTM-I) will see up to 300 personnel deployed in Iraq, and it will mean a significant increase in the existing training and mentoring given to mid and senior level personnel from the Iraqi security forces, the press release said.

Currently, about 60 NATO trainers are working in Iraq.

The next stage of expansion, which would lead to a further increase in personnel, will be NATO help in establishing an Iraqi Training Education and Doctrine Center (TEDC), to provide leadership and management training for the middle and senior level of the Iraqi forces.

Source: Xinhua