US to Deploy 1,500 More Troops to Iraq
US to Deploy 1,500 More Troops to Iraq
VOA News
The U.S. will deploy an additional 1,500 troops to Iraq to advise and train the Iraqi military to bolster its ability to counter the threat posed by militants associated with the so-called Islamic State, the Pentagon said Friday.
The Defense Department said the forces will be in non-combat roles, establishing training sites and to set up “advise and assist operations centers” outside Baghdad and Arbil.
According to a statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby, Defense Secretary Hagel recommended the increase to President Obama based on a request from the Iraqi, an assessment of Iraqi units, and the progress Iraqi security forces have made in the field.
There are currently about 1,400 U.S. military and diplomatic security personnel in Iraq.
In a meeting with congressional leaders Friday, Obama was expected to seek specific authorization from Congress for airstrikes being conducted by a U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
The air campaign against the insurgents began in September. Initially, Obama used congressional permission granted by the 2001 Authorized Use of Military Force.
There are reports President Obama has also reached out to Iran on the fight against the Islamic State, tying possible coordination to progress on Iran's disputed nuclear program.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest would not confirm a Wall Street Journal report saying Obama sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Earnest said Thursday he is "not in a position to discuss private correspondence between the president and any world leader."
The reported letter, which other news outlets say they have confirmed exists, is likely to raise concerns about turning the fight against the Islamic State into a sectarian battle by pitting Iran's Shi'ite government against the Sunni militant group. The U.S. has so far been focused on empowering Iraq's Sunni tribes and enlisting a regional coalition of Sunni states to battle the Islamic State.
Two of President Obama's harshest critics in Congress, Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, say enlisting Iran in the fight against Islamic State militants could also lend support to Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, whom the U.S. opposes. Iran has backed Assad throughout the Syrian conflict, while the U.S. has supported moderate Syrian rebels.
In a joint statement, McCain and Graham called the apparent outreach to Iran "outrageous," saying the consequences "would destroy the Syrians' last best chance to live in freedom from the brutal Assad regime."
High on the Top Ten list of Strategic Mistakes made in the post-9/11 era is our turning down the offer of assistance by Iran in dealing with AQ. They were one of the first to volunteer. Much of modern Iraq and Afghanistan were parts of Iran not that long ago, and working with partners with shared interests beyond simply wanting to stay on our good side is just smart business. But we were being driven more by emotion.
But to bolster the security forces of Iraq? The state of Iraq exists in name only these days, and the security forces are well over 90% Shia and supported by thousands of local and foreign Shia fighters. This is not support to a partner state, that partner state no longer exists. This is taking a side in the larger Shia-Sunni competition for influence, at least that is how it will be widely perceived by over a billion Muslims.
The horse is out of the proverbial barn, and the barn is on fire. Why try to put the horse back in? It is time to move the politics of this region forward in a direction more acceptable by all who live there, not just what we think is best for us.
Though there is plenty of competition, this move makes the Top Ten list as well.