U.S. to send more troops to Iraq ahead of Mosul assault
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 28 September 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, U.S. to send more troops to Iraq ahead of Mosul assault, 28 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e19a.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Last Updated: September 28, 2016
Iraqi troops deploy in the town of Shirqat, around 80 kilometers south of Mosul, on September 22.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said hundreds more U.S. troops will be heading to Iraq ahead of an major assault to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State militants.
Carter told reporters September 28 that the troops would help Iraqi security forces and Kurdish militias in the run-up to the offensive in Mosul, which could start as soon as next month.
A U.S. defense official later put the number at 615.
Carter tried to emphasize that the U.S. forces would not be engaging in combat outright.
That's something President Barack Obama's administration has taken pains to avoid, having pledged to withdraw nearly all U.S. forces from Iraq, but still finding Iraqi forces struggling to retake territory against Islamic State fighters.
"We're in a support role, but I need to make clear once again: American forces combatting [Islamic State] in Iraq are in harm's way,"Carter told reporters during a trip to New Mexico. "No one should be in any doubt about that."
The effort to recapture Mosul, Iraq's third largest city, is shaping into one of the biggest tests not only for the Iraqi government but also the U.S. effort to reverse Islamic State's gains there.
There are roughly 4,600 troops in Iraq, according to the Pentagon, although the figure doesn't include troops there on temporary duty.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
