Absolutely. Thank you for the question.
When we looked at the situation in Iraq before deciding on what type of capabilities and assets to put in, we took a very thorough approach, not towards the fight at that time, but towards what it was going to look like in the coming year, which is now. The direct request was on intelligence assets and trainers, not just any type of trainers but people specific to the ethnic breakdown and complexity of Iraq.
First of all, the intelligence components we put in weren't just about doubling the capacity. It was about putting in the right type of intelligence and getting a fusion centre in place that's going to allow for the intel to be put into proper packages that go through a very rigorous process. That process has gone extremely well and has allowed the coalition commander a much-needed intelligence capability for decision-making and targeting.
The other aspect is the training. It is critical that the right type of groups are trained at the right time. As the other cities were being taken earlier in the year, there was a lot of work we needed to do with our allies in training for the north. You can see the fruits of that labour now. As we're now about to liberate Mosul, having those right groups was critical in making sure that no additional tensions were created.
That leads me to the ministerial liaison team. That whole-of-government approach that we were trying to take is having a tremendous impact. The ministerial liaison team is led by a Canadian general. Working directly with Iraq's ministries of defence and interior has allowed for the sequencing and some of the situation awareness to go very well. Keep in mind, a military solution is just one aspect of things and a lot of other work has gone on behind the scenes. The political situation is equally important. The work that my colleagues have done not just in Iraq itself, but in the region has had an impact. Now we need to work very hard to make sure we achieve not just the liberation of Mosul, but also the political aspect of stability.