PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you very much it’s actually my honour to be here as your Prime Minister, but thank you for the great work that you’re doing. You’re a long way from home; you’re showing great professionalism, great commitment and great success. The CDF and I have just been in a meeting with Prime Minister al-Abadi and your ears should have all been glowing. He spent a long time, much of the meeting, talking about the great work you’re doing, how much he appreciated it, and the absolutely critical role in that success in retaking Ramadi - which of course has been so important not just at a tactical level but it’s been an enormous strategic lift for the Iraqi government. Its given them an enormous boost to their morale, and they certainly feel that they couldn’t have done it without you. So hats off, you have done a great job, it’s terrific. The Prime Minister certainly gave us the impression of real, substantial confidence that they’re turning the corner in the battle against Daesh. It’s obviously vitally important that a city like Ramadi and others to follow, are seen to be taken by Iraqi forces. They’ve got to win back their country but they need our help and more importantly they needed your help and you've provided it with great skill. So thank you very much. As I said at the outset it is a great honour to be here in your company, I thank you, congratulate you, and I look forward to having a chat with as many of you as I can before we head off to see some more of your comrades and armies, thank you very much.
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