Who Has Contributed What in the Coalition Against the Islamic State?

Wednesday, 12 November, 2014 , 17:43

Foreignpolicy.com | by Justine Drennan

As the Obama administration has ramped up its campaign against the so-called Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, it has tried to present itself as acting with the support of a broad range of partner nations.

The State Department lists 62 countries as members of the “global coalition to degrade and defeat ISIL.” But the bar for inclusion is apparently fairly low. Although many countries have pledged military or humanitarian support, the State Department indicates that simply "exposing ISIL's true nature" can qualify a nation for the coalition.

The list, moreover, remains largely unchanged since September. The only recent -- minor -- addition came on Monday, Nov. 3, when Singapore pledged an aerial-refueling aircraft and military personnel to serve in advisory roles in the region. Just a handful of coalition partners, meanwhile, have joined the United States-dominated air campaign against ISIS, which had made about 800 airstrikes as of Nov. 7. That day, the White House doubled the number of U.S. troops authorized for deployment in Iraq, bringing the total to more than 3,000, although as before, none will operate in direct combat roles.

Many governments, including Australia’s, New Zealand’s, and Canada’s, are also turning inward to target nationals trying to leave their home countries to join ISIS. The increased surveillance to help find those citizens and broader detention powers those governments are granting themselves have critics warning that they’re jeopardizing civil liberties in the process.

The table below tracks major developments in partner commitments, including the date of the first strikes by each country involved in the air campaign and each country’s most recently announced total contributions of military and/or humanitarian aid.

This table will be updated periodically as coalition members’ commitments change.

 

Coalition Contributions as of Nov. 11

*Has yet to commit to send any military assistance.
**Nature or specifics of the commitment unclear.

ALBANIA
- Nov. 4: Announces it will establish "the largest anti-terrorism directorate in the [Balkan] region," following reports of Albanians joining the Islamic State. A day before, Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati has said Albania is interested in making further military contributions to the coalition against IS.
- Aug. 24: Starts sending weapons and ammunition to Kurdish forces in Iraq. Earlier in August, Albania said it would send supplies, including 22 million rounds of AK-47 7.62 millimeter bullets, 15,000 hand grenades, and 32,000 artillery shells of different calibers.
- Used as takeoff point for Australian aircraft delivering arms to Kurdish fighters in Iraq.
AUSTRALIA
- Nov. 4: Announces it has so far dropped 27 guided 500-pound bombs on IS targets, hitting 14 and destroying 11, including logistics bases and equipment storage facilities, and that 200 special forces members will move into Iraq within the next week to advise Iraqi security forces.
- Oct. 30: Passes a controversial new law aimed at stopping people leaving to fight for IS. The law increase the government's ability to collect data, cancel passports, and prohibit travel to certain destinations, on "national security" grounds.
- Oct. 9: PM Tony Abbott suggests there may be a future role for Australian combat troops.
- Oct. 8: Begins airstrikes in Iraq.
- Has sent 600 service members to the UAE, where they await deployment to serve as advisors in Iraq.
- Sept. 3 to Sept. 8: Delivers about 150 tons of small-arms ammunition to Kurdish fighters.
- Has sent at least $5 million in emergency humanitarian aid to northern Iraq, including airdrops to Mt. Sinjar and Amerli.
- Aug. 17: Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says Australia will offer to resettle some 4,400 people who have fled Iraq and Syria; claims Australia has the capacity due to success in stopping asylum-seeker boats.
*AUSTRIA
- Has sent about $1.3 million in emergency humanitarian aid to northern Iraq. Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz says the country will stick to providing humanitarian rather than military assistance.
BAHRAIN
- Nov. 5: Announces it will host an international conference on "combating terrorist funding" with representatives from 30 countries and international organizations on Nov. 9.
- Sept. 22: Begins airstrikes against IS in Syria as part of coalition's first strikes there. Foreign Affairs Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa says the next day, "We will be there with our allies as long as we are required to be there," but a government spokesman says in November that Bahrain hasn't participated in airstrikes since September.
BELGIUM
- Oct. 5: Begins airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq.
- Has sent 13 tons of humanitarian aid to northern Iraq.
BULGARIA
- Sept. 30: Announces it has sent 1,800 pieces of arms and nearly 6 million rounds of ammunition to Iraq.
CANADA
- Nov. 2: Begins airstrikes against IS in Iraq.
- Oct. 27: Introduces a new anti-terrorism bill in Parliament that would bolster the government's surveillance and detention powers.
- Oct. 7: Parliament votes to begin airstrikes in Iraq; airstrike support troops to depart in following weeks.
- Has helped airlift military supplies donated by Albania and the Czech Republic.
- Sept. 5: Announces deployment of "several dozen" service members to serve as military advisors in Iraq.
- Sept. 3: Announces $15 million in military assistance.
- Has sent more than $35 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq since the start of 2014, including money to address Islamic State sexual violence.
**CROATIA
- Sept. 23: President Ivo Josipovic says Croatia will not send troops to fight IS, and that "in terms of concrete assistance, we still haven't taken part, but we will."
- U.S. State Department says Croatia has provided military supplies for anti-IS efforts, but the specifics remain unclear.
**CYPRUS
- Akrotiri base within Cyprus used to launch U.K. airstrikes and humanitarian airdrops. The base is sovereign British territory, but Cyprus nevertheless has clarified that it permits the base's use for launching airstrikes against IS.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
CZECH REPUBLIC
- Has sent about 500 tons of ammunition to Kurdish fighters in Iraq.
- Sept. 23: Says it will not participate in airstrikes against IS.
- Sept. 15: Pledges to contribute "various kinds of weaponry to the Iraqi army including L-159 fighter jets" and says it will help train Kurds fighting IS in Iraq.
- Has sent more than $1.5 million in humanitarian aid for victims of Syrian conflict and financially supported International Organization for Migration's and UNICEF's work with refugees in northern Iraq.
DENMARK
- Oct. 20: The Washington Post reports that Denmark, "a country that has spawned more foreign fighters per capita than almost anywhere else," is not barring jihadists who have left to fight in Syria and Iraq from returning or imprisoning them, and that the city of Aarhus is, instead, "providing free psychological counseling while finding returnees jobs and spots in schools and universities."
- Oct. 16: Danish F-16s take part in their first mission against IS in Iraq, but there turned out to be “no need for the Danish jet’s support on this mission and no weapons were used,” though the jets obtained "useful information." In subsequent missions, Danish jets do drop bombs.
- Oct. 2: Votes to send seven F-16s for airstrikes against IS in Iraq (but not Syria).
- Aug. 26: U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says Denmark has "committed to helping provide Kurdish forces urgently needed arms and equipment."
**EGYPT
- Nov. 3: The Associated Press reports that "Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait are discussing the creation of a military pact to take on Islamic militants, with the possibility of a joint force to intervene around the Middle East" but that the plan isn't part of the U.S.-led coalition, will not focus specifically on IS, and will be aimed partly at counterbalancing Iran.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
- Oct. 20: President Ibrahim Mehleb says Egypt has no plans for military action against IS, though he leaves open that possibility if IS threatened Egypt's Gulf allies.
- Sept. 23: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi tells PBS's Charlie Rose, "I don't want us to get dragged into reducing, countering terrorism that needs a comprehensive strategy into countering ISIS or ISIL. It doesn't matter what name they come under.… Perhaps more than a year ago, we started our counterterrorism efforts in Sinai and other places in Egypt." These efforts have been criticized as an attempt to stifle domestic opponents.
ESTONIA
- Aug. 29: Announces it will donate a million machine gun cartridges to the fight against IS and that it has contributed about $90,000 for humanitarian aid to displaced Iraqis.
*EUROPEAN UNION
- Has committed more than $200 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraq and Syria; is managing aid from member states.
**FINLAND
- Sept. 25: Six days after President Sauli Niinistö has said Finland will join the coalition against IS in a non-military role, Defense Forces Commander Jarmo Lindberg reiterates that it will not commit troops or military supplies but says it has yet to decide how it could contribute, even though it is included on the U.S. State Department's list of coalition members.
- Aug. 12: Foreign Affairs Minister Erkki Tuomioja says Finland will focus on delivering humanitarian aid.
FRANCE
- Sept. 25: Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says France hasn't ruled out airstrikes in Syria after President François Hollande says it has. As of Oct. 21 date, France has only made airstrikes in Iraq.
- Sept. 19: Begins airstrikes against IS in Iraq.
- Sept. 15: Begins referring to IS solely as "Daesh," a moniker from the group's Arabic acronym that has more negative connotations than IS, ISIS, etc.
- Has delivered arms to Kurdish fighters and sent advisors to train them.
- Has sent more than 65 tons of humanitarian aid to Iraq.
**GEORGIA
Sept. 23: Foreign Policy reports, "After significant public backlash, officials from the former Soviet republic of Georgia denied a report … that the country offered to host a center where the U.S. military could train Syrian rebels." The Georgian Defense says that Georgia "is considering the ways how to contribute to the goals of anti-ISIS coalition."
GERMANY
- Oct. 17: Announces new measures aimed at stopping people from leaving Germany to fight for the Islamic State, including the ability to confiscate national ID cards, a proposal some criticize as an infringement on civil liberties.
- Sept. 12: Commits to send about 40 paratroopers to Iraq to provide weapons training to Kurdish fighters; to give them 16,000 assault rifles, hundreds of anti-tank weapons, and armored vehicles; and to train about 30 Kurdish fighters in southern Germany starting at the end of September. Bans Islamic State symbols, propaganda, and activities in Germany.
- Aug. 31: Announces it will send enough weapons to arm about 4,000 Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. The equipment will include anti-tank rockets, thousands of assault rifles, mine-clearing equipment, hand grenades, night-vision goggles, field kitchens, and tents.
- Has sent more than 36 tons of humanitarian aid to northern Iraq.
GREECE
- Nov. 3: Says that on the U.S.'s request, it will step up screening in ports and airports to prevent people leaving to fight for IS.
- Has served as a staging point for Belgian F-16s participating in airstrikes against IS.
- Sept. 25: Pledges military and humanitarian contributions against the Islamic State, including bullets for Kalashnikov rifles to Kurdish fighters, but doesn't specify the amounts or other specifics.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear the extent of what it has pledged.
HUNGARY
Aug. 21: Announces it will provide Iraq with thousands of mines, millions of cartridges, and armor-piercing shells.
- Has sent $90,000 in humanitarian aid to northern Iraq.
*ICELAND
- Oct. 12: Announces it has shut down an IS website run from Iceland, in reportedly the first instance of the country shutting down a website based on its content.
- Oct. 8: Pledges $50,000 in humanitarian assistance. Says it won't contribute to military assistance because it has no standing military.
IRAQ
- Oct. 21: Officials and commanders call for intensified U.S. airstrikes and more military aid, saying the current levels are not sufficient to turn back IS.
- Has opened its airspace to coalition airstrikes; continues ground offensive against IS.
- Jun. 18: United States confirms Iraq has requested U.S. airstrikes against IS.
IRAN
- Although Iran is not an acknowledged coalition partner, it and the United States are conferring informally. Iran has been active in the fight against IS, having sent hundreds of troops as well as several Su-25 Frogfoot jets and many tons of humanitarian aid to Iraq.
- Nov. 6: The Wall Street Journal reports that Obama sent a letter to Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in mid-October that "described a shared interest in fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria" but said any such cooperation was continent on an agreement on Iran's nuclear program by the Nov. 24 diplomatic deadline. The U.S. State Department does not list Iran as a member of the coalition.
- Oct. 28: Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of Iran's national security and foreign policy parliamentary committee, says Iran will not join the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition. He adds that "it's only natural" that Iran can't trust the coalition's members, saying that some of them are "the very countries that created the Islamic State group." 
*IRELAND
- Aug. 13: Announces it will provide about $320,000 each to UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross for their activities in northern Iraq, adding to the $830,000 that Ireland has already provided for Iraq in 2014.
ITALY
- Oct. 17: Announces it will send 280 troops to Iraq to help train Kurdish fighters, and will also welcome some Kurds for training in Italy; will also send two Predator drones for surveillance of the region and 25 armored vehicles to Jordan to defend its territory from IS.
- Sept. 15: Asked whether Italy would be involved in air operations, Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini says: "No, Italy has decided to send arms, munitions, and above all material for humanitarian support."
- Sept. 11: Offers to help refuel planes involved in airstrikes and to provide experts to help train Kurdish fighters.
- Has sent $2.5 million worth of weaponry, including 600 machine guns, 2,000 rocket-propelled grenades, and nearly a million rounds of ammunition, to Kurdish fighters.
- Has given 50 metric tons of water and food supplies, 200 tents, and 400 sleeping bags to northern Iraq.
*JAPAN
- Has given more than $6 million in humanitarian aid to northern Iraq.
JORDAN
- November: Jordan says clerics who don't keep their messages moderate will be banned from preaching, in the latest in a series of anti-IS moves in the past few months, including heightened surveillance, anti-terror laws, and a crackdown on IS propaganda. Critics say these laws could infringe on Jordanians' rights.   
- Sept. 22: Begins airstrikes against IS in Syria as part of coalition's first strikes there, destroying "a number of selected targets." Jordanian Information Minister Mohammed al-Momani calls the airstrikes "an ongoing operation."
-Sept. 19: Jordanian Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Judeh says Jordan is "working to help contain extremism and terrorism, and we are working specifically on strangling the sources of financing."
**KOSOVO
- October: Cracks down against groups it says are pro-IS; critics say the move is politically motivated.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but remains unclear exactly what it has pledged.
*KUWAIT
- Oct. 27: Ministry of Foreign Affairs undersecretary Sulaiman al-Jarallah says Kuwait has created a special task force to combat terrorist financing.
- Has agreed to serve as base for coalition forces, aircraft, and equipment waiting to be sent to Iraq.
- Has contributed $10 million for humanitarian aid in Iraq.
**LATVIA
- Sept. 22: Announces it is "ready to provide humanitarian aid to civilians that have been caught up in the area of conflict" and is "considering other possibilities for providing help that is needed now."
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but remains unclear exactly what it has pledged.
LEBANON
- Nov. 5: France says it will give Lebanon $3 billion worth of military equipment in a Saudi-funded deal to fight Islamic extremists around the country. Saudi Arabia has already given Lebanon $1 billion in military aid for this purpose. Iran has also pledged a grant of unknown size to the Lebanese army.
- Government troops as well as Hezbollah fighters have been combating IS on and within Lebanon's borders.
- Sept. 21: Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil says Lebanon will not send troops or equipment abroad but appeals to the international community to provide Lebanon with military aid so its army can fight IS within its territory.
**LITHUANIA
- Oct. 11: Says it has pledged humanitarian aid and may dispatch instructors to train Iraqi forces that are fighting IS.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear exactly what it has committed.
*LUXEMBOURG
- Has contributed an unspecified amount to United Nations humanitarian aid deliveries to Iraq.
**MACEDONIA
- September: Enacts a new law punishing those who leave to fight in foreign conflicts and those who recruit them with up to five years in prison.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear exactly what it has contributed.
**MOLDOVA
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
**MONTENEGRO
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
**MOROCCO
- September-October: Arrests several suspects allegedly linked to the Islamic State.
- Sept. 18: Introduces new law to parliament to criminalize extremist training camps.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear whether it has contributed anything beyond domestic law enforcement.
NETHERLANDS
- Oct. 24: Leads, rather than just participates in, an airstrike against IS -- the first time the Netherlands has led a bombing mission since 1994.
- Oct. 14: Spokesman confirms that Dutch bikers who have gone to fight IS are allowed to do so, after legality of the move questioned.
- Oct. 7: Makes first airstrikes against IS in Iraq.
- Sept. 24: Announces it will contribute six F-16 fighter jets to strike IS targets in Iraq, but does not currently see a mandate for striking Syria.
- Sept. 5: Says it is providing Kurdish forces with 1,000 helmets and 1,000 bulletproof vests and has agreed to help transport arms and ammunition.
- Has committed more than $10 million in humanitarian aid to Syria and Iraq.
*NEW ZEALAND
- Nov. 5: Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand has sent a team of military officials to the Middle East to figure out how to contribute in the fight against IS. He says New Zealand "can and may play a part" in training Iraqi forces but rules out sending combat troops. He also proposes a new law allowing passports to be canceled for up to three years on national security grounds, amid concerns about people leaving to fight for IS.
- Has provided $1 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq.
*NORWAY
- Sept. 18: Says it will provide military training to Iraqi forces but will not contribute fighter jets.
- Has delivered about 40,000 blankets, 10,000 kitchen sets, and 18,000 plastic tarpaulins to Iraq via the U.N.
**OMAN
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
**POLAND
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
- Sept. 12: Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak says: "Poland does not envisage participation of its soldiers in military operations, though it intends to politically support the coalition and organize humanitarian aid."
**PORTUGAL
- Nov. 11: Foreign Minister Rui Machete says Portugal will not take part in military operations against IS but is planning to participate in the coalition in other ways, including tightening domestic security and anti-recruitment measures, and that it has already contributed humanitarian aid to groups affected by IS's growth.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear exactly what it has pledged.
QATAR
- Sept. 22: Qatari aircraft join coalition airstrikes against IS in Syria, in an assisting rather than striking role.
- Sept. 15: Passes law to regulate charities in order to prevent money from being sent to IS, amid accusations, which have continued, that it supports the group.
- Hosts a base for U.S. military operations against IS, but has asked that the U.S. not disclose this information due to regional political pressures.
- Has delivered 300 tons of humanitarian aid to assist people affected by IS's expansion.
**ROMANIA
- Sept. 26: Defense Minister Mircea Dusa says Romania will provide humanitarian aid and other "capabilities" to fight the Islamic State. Specifics to be announced in the coming days.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
SAUDI ARABIA
- Sept. 22: Begins airstrikes against IS in Syria, sending four fighter jets to participate in coalition's first strikes there. Some observers raise concerns about Saudi Arabia as a coalition partner given its own public beheadings and other human rights violations.
- Has offered to train fighters from Syria who oppose IS and pledged billions for military support for Lebanon, which faces an IS threat.
- Has provided $500 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq.
**SERBIA
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged, although it is reportedly preparing to pass legislation to hinder people from going to fight in foreign conflicts.
SINGAPORE
- Nov. 3: Announces it will contribute an aerial-refueling aircraft and military personnel to serve in advisory roles in the region.
*SLOVAKIA
- Oct. 8: Says it won't send soldiers but has said it might provide military training.
- Aug. 14: Says it will contribute $25,000 to the International Organization for Migration for its work in northern Iraq.
**SLOVENIA
- Sept. 25: Prime Minister Miro Cerar says Slovenia opposes terrorism but is "bothered by the fact that we have been placed on the list without the government's knowledge," referring to the U.S. State Department's coalition list.
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
*SOUTH KOREA
- Sept. 16: National Security Chief Kim Kwan-jin leaves open the possibility that Korea might contribute militarily to the coalition in the future.
- Has contributed $1.2 million in humanitarian aid.
SPAIN
- Oct. 18: Says it will begin training Iraqi troops later this year but rules out taking part in ground operations itself.
- Oct. 9: Annouces it will send about 300 troops to Iraq to help train its army.
- Sept. 26: Arrests militants suspected of having links to the Islamic State.
- Sept. 2: Announces it will contribute $634,000 in humanitarian aid channeled through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
*SWEDEN
- Has contributed at least $13 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq this year.
- Aug. 15: Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt expresses support for the anti-IS military operations but says for "legal reasons" Sweden will stick to providing humanitarian rather than military aid.
*SWITZERLAND
- Has contributed $9 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq this year.
**TAIWAN
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
- Sept. 12: Says it "will cooperate closely with the international community to provide humanitarian aid to victims of ISIL attacks."
*TURKEY
- Oct. 20: Says it will allow Iraqi Kurdish fighters to cross its border into Kobani, after drawing criticism for its apparent unwillingness to assist the town near its border.
- Oct. 13: Denies it has given permission for the United States to use bases within Turkey for operations against IS, contradicting what U.S. officials said the day before.
- Oct. 2: Authorizes the use of military force against the Islamic State and other nations' use of its territory to launch operations against IS.
- Sept. 23: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey "will give the necessary support to the operation. The support could be military or logistics."
- Has sent more than $300 million in humanitarian aid to Syria and Iraq.
- Has reportedly taken in about 1.9 million Syrian refugees.
**UKRAINE
- Included on U.S. State Department's list of countries that have made contributions or commitments to the anti-IS efforts, but it remains unclear what it has pledged.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
- Nov. 9: The Washington Post reports that "after the U.S. military, Emirati fighters have conducted more missions against the Islamic State since the air war began than any other member of the multinational coalition, often striking targets that are just as difficult and dangerous as those attacked by the Americans." Also hosts a base for U.S. military operations against IS, but has asked that the U.S. not disclose this information due to regional political pressures.
- Oct. 27: Says it is organizing a joint financial counter-terrorism task force with the U.S.
- Sept. 22: Begins airstrikes against IS in Syria as part of coalition's first strikes there; says it will welcome Australian troops to use the UAE as a base for operations.
UNITED KINGDOM
- Nov. 5: Says it is sending troops that will help train the Iraqi army in the fight against IS but will not themselves take combat roles. A small number of British troops had been training Kurdish fighters against IS since October.
- Oct. 21: Says it will fly surveillance missions over Syria but would need parliamentary authorization to expand its airstrikes into the country.
- Sept. 30: First British airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq.
- Sept. 26: Votes to participate in airstrikes against IS in Iraq, but not in Syria at this point. Prime Minister David Cameron has said he believes there are legal grounds for airstrikes against Syria but doesn't believe that at this point there is sufficient support for military action there.
- Sept. 9: Announces an initial shipment to Kurdish fighters in Iraq of heavy machine guns and ammunition costing about $2.6 million plus $770,000 in transport costs. Previously, sent Kurdish fighters nonlethal equipment and helped ship ammunition and equipment from other nations.
- Has contributed more than $37 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq and about $1 billion to Syria.
UNITED STATES
- Nov. 7: President Obama asks Congress for an additional $5.6 billion to fight IS and authorizes 1,500 more troops for deployment in non-combat roles against IS in Iraq, bringing the total number above 3,000. Two days before, he has said he will ask Congress for authorization for the use of military force against IS.
- Has participated in more than 800 airstrikes against the Islamic State as of Nov. 11, some in cooperation with partner nations.
- Oct. 19: Begins airdropping weapons for Kurdish fighters near Kobani, a move opposed by Turkey.
- Sept. 22: Begins air campaign against IS in Syria.
- Sept. 12: Secretary of State John Kerry announces $500 million in humanitarian assistance for Syria, the largest single contribution so far to address the crisis there, for which the U.S. has contributed more than $2.9 billion since the conflict started in 2011.
- Sept. 10: Announces it is sending nearly $48 million in humanitarian aid to Iraq, bringing total U.S. aid sent to Iraq in the 2014 fiscal year to more than $185 million.
- Aug. 8: Begins air campaign against IS in Iraq.
- Has sent millions of dollars' worth of military equipment to Kurdish, Lebanese, and other fighters opposing IS.