An enduring victory over Islamic State militants must be won and owned by the people of Iraq and Syria, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has declared on day one of his official visit to the US.
Mr Turnbull delivered a keynote address focused on global security and trade to a capacity audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC on Monday afternoon (US time).
The prime minister provided some insights from his unannounced weekend trip to Afghanistan and Iraq, and morning discussions with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
"The destruction of ISIL requires a military solution - it requires boots on the ground. But they must be the right boots on the right ground," Mr Turnbull said.
The recent retaking of Ramadi was a prime example of how the Iraqi army leadership assisted by the coalition's respective air and special forces was "the right combination".
The US-led coalition's efforts appear to be paying off with ISIL-held territory shrinking by about 40 per cent from its maximum expansion in Iraq in 2015.
Mr Turnbull met with Australian defence personnel training Iraqi forces as well as the nation's prime minister Haider al-Abadi.
It's understood Mr al-Abadi has a strong view that coalition forces should not take a greater role beyond the wire while United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed reportedly favours additional boots on the ground coming from the region.
Canberra has formally rejected what Mr Turnbull described as a "form letter" from the US requesting increased military contributions from its coalition partners.
Australia has 780 defence personnel deployed in the Middle East providing training and conducting air strikes over Iraq and Syria.
"An enduring victory must be won and owned by the people of Iraq and Syria," Mr Turnbull said.
But Islamic State's sophisticated and agile tech and social media strategy was a weak spot the Iraqi government needed to address with help from coalition countries.
"ISIL claims must be mocked and disproved as soon as they are made," he said.
"The cybersphere demands reactions as rapid as the battlefield."
The prime minister observed that anxiety about ISIL should not lead to an exaggeration of their power.
"Their threat to sweep across continents like the armies of Mohammed, to stable their horses in the Vatican are crazed delusions. We should not amplify them," Mr Turnbull said.
Mr Carter in a statement hailed his talks with Mr Turnbull as productive and expressed appreciation for Australia's military contribution.
Mr Turnbull heads to the White House on Tuesday for bilateral talks with President Barack Obama.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was clear a long-term solution could not be solved by Australian or Western forces alone.
Australia was "punching above its weight" on its contribution to the anti-IS campaign - and the region needed to step up to the challenge of ensuring peace and security, he said.
"You cannot drain the swamp of terrorism by military means alone," he told reporters in Rockhampton on Tuesday.
