MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to New York this week to chair a meeting of the United National Security Council on Iraq.

The State Department said Monday that Kerry would convene the council on Friday to show international support for the new Iraqi government and encourage it to be inclusive while supporting its efforts to combat the Islamic State group. Kerry will chair the meeting two days after testifying before Congress on the Obama administration’s strategy for confronting the extremists and having returned from the Middle East and Europe where he was building a coalition to fight them.

The U.S. holds the Security Council presidency for September, and next week President Barack Obama will chair a panel meeting on foreign fighters in the conflict.

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