Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday paid a surprise visit to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders and pledge $155 million in new aid to the country to help fight ISIS. Kerry, during the visit, met with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari at a “very critical time” for the country and the broader region. “It’s important to have stability,” Kerry told reporters, according to The Associated Press. “And it is important to have a unified and functioning government as soon as possible, so that these operations are not affected.” Kerry’s visit comes as Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is changing his cabinet, an “internal matter” that needs to be put aside for the good of Iraq, he said. Iraq is also preparing for one of its largest fights against ISIS, looking to retake the city of Mosul with help from the US-led coalition. “We will succeed,” Kerry said, according to AP. “And the evidence on the ground suggests we are in fact doing that now.”
The Pentagon announced new long-term agreements with four defense companies May 13 to develop and produce large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles. And while the effort will focus mostly on the Army to start, it pairs with Air Force efforts to find more affordable munitions.