U.S. to escalate Iraq mission
Obama authorized military sending 1,500 more troops to help struggling local forces
WASHINGTON— President Barack Obama authorized a broad expansion on Friday of the U.S. military mission in Iraq that will boost the number of American troops there to 3,100 and spread advisory teams and trainers to the north and west, where fighting with Islamic State militants has been fierce.
The president’s decision to escalate the U.S. effort in Iraq comes just three days after a bruising American election and amid persistent arguments that more U.S. troops are needed to bolster the struggling Iraqi forces. In particular, there have been calls to send troops to the western Anbar province, where extremists have been slaughtering men, women and children.
Obama authorized the Pentagon to send 1,500 troops to Iraq in addition to the 1,600 previously allowed. He also is asking Congress for more than $5 billion to fund the fight.
Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said the military will set up several training sites across Iraq to instruct 12 Iraqi brigades, and also establish two operations centres where small advisory teams can work with Iraqi forces at the headquarters and brigade levels.
A senior military official said one of those centres will be in Anbar province, and that it is likely that the bulk of the additional troops will be in Iraq by the end of the year. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity. Kirby said the new changes were based on a request from the Iraqi officials, the assessment of military commanders on the progress that Iraq’s military has made in the fight, and as part of a campaign plan “to defend key areas and go on the offensive” against the Islamic State. The U.S. troops will not be in combat roles but will do the training in protected locations around the country. The funding announcement is part of a $5.6-billion request to Congress and came just after Obama met with congressional leaders Friday.