Kerry: Airstrike damage to Islamic State is 'significant'

BRUSSELS, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Secretary of State John Kerry told coalition ministers Wednesday the air war against the Islamic State could last years but is doing significant damage.

Speaking at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Kerry said the campaign in Iraq against IS, which he called Daesh, using its Arab acronym, will continue for "as long as it takes to prevail."

"Our commitment will be measured most likely in years, but our efforts are already having a significant impact. The roughly 1,000 coalition air missions we have flown have reduced Daesh's leadership and inflicted damage on its logistical and operational capabilities. It is much harder now than when we started for Daesh to assemble forces in strength, to travel in convoys and to launch concerted attacks. No large Daesh unit can move forward aggressively without worrying what will come down on it from the skies."

The United States began an aerial bombardment of IS positions in Iraq in August, and included positions in Syria in September. France, Britain, Australia and Gulf nations have joined the air war.

Kerry added that Sunni Arab tribes are being persuaded to help in the fight against IS, a component of his strategy.

The plan to begin retaking areas in Iraq's Sunni heartland, now dominated by IS, will be conducted next year at the earliest, and IS is still making territorial gains in Syria.

The Pentagon said it has not coordinated airstrikes with Iran, which recently conducted airstrikes of its own in Iraq, although Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, acknowledged, "We have indications that they (Iran) did indeed fly airstrikes with F-4 Phantoms in the past several days."

The Iranian action in Iraq reinforces the observation that although Iran supports the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, contrary to U.S. interests, both the United States and Iran regard IS as a common enemy.