<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, warned this Thursday in Brussels of the importance of countering the presence and expansion of the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the Sahel.</strong></h4> Robles spoke these words during her participation in the meeting of defense ministers of the Global Coalition to defeat the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which took place at NATO headquarters in Brussels. This meeting was attended by representatives of more than 40 countries that are part of the Global Coalition, as well as the new Secretary General of the Alliance, Mark Rutte, who acted as host. The meeting was convened by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the launch of the coalition against ISIS and with the aim of addressing, precisely, the future of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, after the US and Iraqi governments announced last September the end of said military operation. Likewise, the participants addressed the reevaluation of counterterrorism strategies, taking into account the growing threats of ISIS in Africa, the decrease in the presence in the Middle East, the changing nature of global terrorism and the emergence of other conflicts that distract from the fight against ISIS, such as the war in Ukraine. During his intervention, Austin underlined the persistent threats of the Islamic State and urged allies not to overlook the changing tactics of the group. Likewise, Austin highlighted the current global challenges of China and Russia along with the uncontrolled dangers posed by ISIS. For his part, Mark Rutte stressed the terrorist group's movement towards the Sahel, which affects migration patterns to Europe amid growing political tensions. Specifically, Margarita Robles warned during her speech of the importance for Spain of countering the presence and expansion of ISIS in the Sahel, which poses a serious challenge to security in Africa, and highlighted the leadership of our country in coordinating assistance for capacity building in the countries of the Sahel and West Africa for the fight against the terrorist group. She also expressed Spain's commitment to the fight to defeat ISIS in Iraq, a country that she considered essential and a priority for stability and security in the region.
