Obama Deploys 1,500 Additional Troops to Iraq

NBC is reporting that the Obama administration has authorized an additional deployment of up to 1,500 troops to Iraq, serving in a “non-combat role to train, advise and assist Iraqi Security Forces.”

The extra troops double the US presence in Iraq to 3,000 troops, supplementing their efforts to assist the Iraqi Army in defeating the Islamic State. In addition, the White House Office of Budget and Management plan on asking Congress to authorize an extra $5.6 billion to support the effort.

“Ultimately, these Iraqi forces, when fully trained, will enable Iraq to better defend its citizens, its borders, and its interests against the threat of ISIL,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “This effort is keeping with our overarching strategy to work with partners on the ground to destroy ISIL.

The full statement from the Pentagon is below:

Statement by @PentagonPresSec on President Obama's authorization to deploy 1,500 additional troops to #Iraq. #ISIS pic.twitter.com/ne0sNlh2o5

— Andrew Peng (@TheAPJournalist) November 7, 2014

[NBC News]
[Image via Mykhaylo Palinchak / Shutterstock.com]

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