BRUSSELS (AP) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter predicted on Thursday that recent U.S.-led efforts to accelerate the fight against the Islamic State group would produce "tangible gains" in Iraq and Syria by March, even as coalition partners pledged to expand and deepen their military contributions.
Carter said defense ministers from more than two dozen countries gave a "broad endorsement" of a refined U.S. plan for defeating the militants. After a meeting at NATO headquarters, Carter told reporters that nearly all participants either promised new military commitments or said their governments would consider new contributions.
"I'm very pleased that so many nations have stepped up and answered the call, even in recent days," Carter said. "But my challenge to coalition members to accelerate our military campaign will not end today, any more than America's resolve to lead and make more contributions itself will end today. It will continue."
Carter offered few details on what the "tangible gains" might look like. He suggested some would involve attacks on Islamic State financing and propaganda messaging, as well as bolstering Iraqi forces for the planned battle to take back Mosul in the north.
He said that 60 percent of the coalition members have increased their contributions, and another one-third said they will seek authority from their governments to do more.
In public remarks at the start of the meeting with coalition members, Carter cast the talks as an historic effort to hasten the demise of IS, which has proved resilient in Iraq and Syria and is spreading to Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere in the greater Middle East.
"This ministerial marks the beginning of a new stage in the coalition campaign to defeat ISIL," Carter said, using a common acronym for the militants. He suggested that countries not answering his call to do more may regret their choice when the struggle is over.
"We will all look back after victory and remember who participated in the fight," he said.