WASHINGTON, DC: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (Aug 2) announced that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will increase its contribution to the multinational coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) by deploying a medical support team to Iraq from 2017 onwards.
The Singapore Prime Minister made the announcement during a joint news conference with President Barack Obama after their bilateral meeting at the Oval Office.
Mr Lee is on an official visit to the United States, which leads the multinational coalition against ISIS. Said the Prime Minister: "This is a problem for all countries. Every day in the newspapers, you read of new attacks somewhere: America, Europe, Middle East; closer to home, in Indonesia and Malaysia.
"We in Southeast Asia are very concerned about this, because the terrorists are active in many countries in the region. Several hundred, perhaps a thousand from Southeast Asia are in the Middle East fighting ISIS, and we have witnessed attacks in both Indonesia and Malaysia that were mounted by ISIS followers under orders from ISIS operatives in the Middle East to launch attacks in their home countries.
"So the efforts to counter ISIL or ISIS are crucial, and that’s why Singapore is a member of the coalition, and we are making a modest contribution to the efforts, and we are going to be sending a medical team to Iraq."
SAF's support of the multinational counter-ISIS coalition was first announced in Nov 2014. Mr Lee noted that since then, Singapore has been participating with air-to-air refueling, image interpretation, as well as in other ways.
In a media release, Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said: "These contributions have met specific needs of the multinational coalition effectively. Through these contributions, the SAF personnel involved have also gained valuable operational expertise.
"The SAF will do everything necessary to ensure the safety of its personnel, and will ensure that all deployed personnel receive rigorous training to prepare them for any contingencies."
In a Facebook post shortly after Mr Lee's announcement, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen added that soldiers from the ADF (Army Deployment Force) would also join Singapore's medical team in Iraq for force protection.
The ADF is described by Singapore's Ministry of Defence as a "high-readiness unit to respond swiftly and decisively to a full spectrum of operations and contingencies to defend Singapore". It can also be activated for overseas missions.
SAF MEDICAL TEAM WILL TAKE CARE OF BOTH INJURED SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS
MINDEF added in its media release that SAF's upcoming deployment of a medical support team to Iraq will be similar to previous its medical deployments during Operation Blue Ridge in Afghanistan.
In his Facebook post, Dr Ng wrote: "The SAF medical team when deployed will take care of both soldiers and civilians injured, as they did in Afghanistan."
"The SAF’s medical team will augment the coalition’s capacity to provide medical services to members of the coalition forces as well as the local Iraqi population," stated MINDEF.
"The SAF will first send a needs assessment and survey team to ascertain specific needs, before determining the composition and size of the medical support team."
A member of an SAF medical team administering aid in Afghanistan in 2009. (Photo: MINDEF)
In its media release, MINDEF noted that the SAF has participated in various multinational operations, such as the reconstruction and stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan under Operation Blue Ridge from 2007 to 2013. "The SAF’s efforts have helped to rebuild damaged areas and restore stability, returning normalcy to areas that had been ravaged by conflict."
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-to-increase/3006644.html
The Singapore Prime Minister made the announcement during a joint news conference with President Barack Obama after their bilateral meeting at the Oval Office.
Mr Lee is on an official visit to the United States, which leads the multinational coalition against ISIS. Said the Prime Minister: "This is a problem for all countries. Every day in the newspapers, you read of new attacks somewhere: America, Europe, Middle East; closer to home, in Indonesia and Malaysia.
"We in Southeast Asia are very concerned about this, because the terrorists are active in many countries in the region. Several hundred, perhaps a thousand from Southeast Asia are in the Middle East fighting ISIS, and we have witnessed attacks in both Indonesia and Malaysia that were mounted by ISIS followers under orders from ISIS operatives in the Middle East to launch attacks in their home countries.
"So the efforts to counter ISIL or ISIS are crucial, and that’s why Singapore is a member of the coalition, and we are making a modest contribution to the efforts, and we are going to be sending a medical team to Iraq."
SAF's support of the multinational counter-ISIS coalition was first announced in Nov 2014. Mr Lee noted that since then, Singapore has been participating with air-to-air refueling, image interpretation, as well as in other ways.
In a media release, Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said: "These contributions have met specific needs of the multinational coalition effectively. Through these contributions, the SAF personnel involved have also gained valuable operational expertise.
"The SAF will do everything necessary to ensure the safety of its personnel, and will ensure that all deployed personnel receive rigorous training to prepare them for any contingencies."
In a Facebook post shortly after Mr Lee's announcement, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen added that soldiers from the ADF (Army Deployment Force) would also join Singapore's medical team in Iraq for force protection.
The ADF is described by Singapore's Ministry of Defence as a "high-readiness unit to respond swiftly and decisively to a full spectrum of operations and contingencies to defend Singapore". It can also be activated for overseas missions.
SAF MEDICAL TEAM WILL TAKE CARE OF BOTH INJURED SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS
MINDEF added in its media release that SAF's upcoming deployment of a medical support team to Iraq will be similar to previous its medical deployments during Operation Blue Ridge in Afghanistan.
In his Facebook post, Dr Ng wrote: "The SAF medical team when deployed will take care of both soldiers and civilians injured, as they did in Afghanistan."
"The SAF’s medical team will augment the coalition’s capacity to provide medical services to members of the coalition forces as well as the local Iraqi population," stated MINDEF.
"The SAF will first send a needs assessment and survey team to ascertain specific needs, before determining the composition and size of the medical support team."
A member of an SAF medical team administering aid in Afghanistan in 2009. (Photo: MINDEF)
In its media release, MINDEF noted that the SAF has participated in various multinational operations, such as the reconstruction and stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan under Operation Blue Ridge from 2007 to 2013. "The SAF’s efforts have helped to rebuild damaged areas and restore stability, returning normalcy to areas that had been ravaged by conflict."
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-to-increase/3006644.html
