The president said the U.S.is seeing the benefits of its military operations in the region.
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A senior US official said there will be eight Apache helicopters authorized to help the Iraqi forces when Iraq leaders determine they need them.
The United States will send more troops to Iraq, potentially putting them closer to the front lines to advise Iraqi forces in the war against Islamic State militants.On Monday, Carter met officials including Abadi and defence minister Khaled al-Obeidi to discuss increasing American military assistance to Iraq ahead of the anticipated battle for Mosul. Another source, claims the Pentagon said that the USA would send 217 more ground troops, along with attack helicopters, and that they were heading for the front lines near Mosul.
This deployment will raise the authorized number of US military forces serving in Iraq from 3,870 to 4,087.
The United States will also deploy an additional long-range rocket artillery unit to support Iraqi ground forces in the battle for Mosul, Carter said.
The U.S., said Carter, is “on the same page with the Iraqi government” in how to intensify the fight against the Islamic State.
On Monday, the Defense Department announced it would loosen the restrictions on what USA troops deployed to Iraq can do there and send another 200 service members to support Baghdad’s forces as they try to recapture the city of Mosul. When they are, Pentagon officials say, the total USA troops presence in Iraq is creeping toward 5,000.
Early Monday, the Kurdistan Regional Government Security Council reported that USA and Kurdish forces killed Salman Abu Shabib al-Jebouri, who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Saif, and two of his deputies.
Retaking the sprawling city is expected to be the biggest challenge Iraq’s military has faced since much of it collapsed in the face of an Islamic State attack into Iraqi territory two years ago. But the aircraft are back on the table during this visit and could be more helpful in the Mosul fight.
Unless you have a loved one in the USA military, you probably haven’t been aware of the slow-but-steady increase in American troops on the ground inside Iraq since then. The remainder would include some trainers, security forces for the advisers, and more maintenance teams for the Apaches.
“Iraqis are still in the lead”, he said in an interview on “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt set to air Monday night”. At that time, the Iraqis turned down a USA offer to provide Apache helicopters for the battle to retake Ramadi. McCain, an Arizona Republican, has long pressed Obama to send more USA troops and authorize them to play a more direct role in fighting the terrorist group.
Mr. Jebouri is believed to have spearheaded a spate of attacks against Kurdish forces in Makhmour, said an official with the KRG’s Security Council who asked to remain anonymous.
Defense Secretary Carter said earlier this year that if ISIL an be expelled from Raqqa and Mosul, “that will show that there’s no such thing as an Islamic State based upon this ideology”.
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The media reports come just days after it emerged that the Islamic State’s income has plummeted by a whopping 30 per cent to $56 million since past year.
