Obama orders 350 more military personnel to Iraq


 Written by : Mohamed Abdel Fattah


3 Sep 2014

President Barack Obama has authorized a State Department request for additional troops in Iraq.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement that the 350 U.S. troops are tasked with protecting American diplomatic facilities and personnel in Baghdad,

“The President has made clear his commitment to doing whatever is required to provide the necessary security for U.S. personnel and facilities around the world,” Earnest said. “The request he approved today will allow some previously deployed military personnel to depart Iraq, while at the same time providing a more robust, sustainable security force for our personnel and facilities in Baghdad.”

The announcement was unrelated to the release of an ISIS video Tuesday purporting to show the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff.

The move is the latest in a series of deployments aimed at protecting the U.S. Embassy and other facilities in Iraq.

The State Department had issued the request for more forces late last month, and the president approved the request based on the Pentagon's recommendation after "an extensive interagency review," according to the statement.

Since mid-June, the Obama administration has authorized 775 U.S. troops to deploy to Iraq, after Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorists took over Mosul, and threatened to advance towards Baghdad.

The move will allow some previously deployed military personnel to leave Iraq "while at the same time providing a more robust, sustainable security force'' for U.S. interests in the Iraq capital, the White House statement said.

Last week, Obama said he was still searching for solutions to deal with the increasingly violent terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, known as ISIS.

The U.S. has also conducted 124 air strikes in Iraq, most to assist Iraqi forces in retaking the key Mosul Dam from ISIS control, with a strike Tuesday damaging or destroying 16 ISIS armed vehicles, according to U.S. Central Command.

"The President will be consulting this week with NATO allies regarding additional actions to take against ISIL and to develop a broad-based international coalition to implement a comprehensive strategy to protect our people and to support our partners in the fight against ISIL," Earnest said, referring to ISIS's alternate name of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

"As part of this effort, Secretary Kerry, Secretary Hagel, and President Obama’s counter terrorism advisor, Lisa Monaco, will be traveling separately to the region in the near-term to build a stronger regional partnership," he said.

Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and President Obama’s counter terrorism advisor will soon travel to Iraq "to build a stronger regional partnership," the statement says.

Sources

http://time.com/3259951/obama-more-troops-baghdad/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/02/obama-iraq-troops_n_5756234.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/09/02/more-military-to-iraq/14995793/


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