US increases military presence in Iraq

(Baonghean.vn)- An anonymous US official said on September 28 that the US is preparing to send more troops to Iraq to act as advisors and trainers for Iranian forces in the fight to retake the city of Mosul from the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (IS).

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA on September 22, 2016. Photo: Reuters.

Specifically, the US and Iraq have agreed to a plan to send about 500 additional troops to Iraq in the next few days to support Iraqi forces in the fight to retake the strategic city of Mosul from IS.

The plan has been discussed for weeks, but it is only now that US President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi have agreed on the details.

This is considered the last reinforcement of US troops in Iraq. US troops are deployed mainly in northern Iraq. US officials have determined that the fight to retake Mosul requires a number of small groups of US military advisers who can be deployed closer to the ground but not on the front lines.

Members of the Shi'ite Badr Organization undergo training ahead of the upcoming battle to retake Mosul. Photo: Reuters.

In a statement on September 28, Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi said, “US President Barack Obama was consulted at the request of the Iraqi Government on the final troop increase under the auspices of the international coalition in Iraq.”

There are currently 4,565 US troops in Iraq. The approved ceiling for US troops stationed in the Middle Eastern country is 4,647.

Lan Ha

(According to CNN)