President Barack Obama is
authorizing the U.S. military to deploy up to 1,500 more troops to Iraq as part
of the mission to combat the Islamic State group.
Obama is also asking Congress for more than $5 billion to help
fund the fight.
The White House says the troops won’t serve in a combat role,
but will train, advise and assist Iraqi military and Kurdish forces fighting
IS.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest says Obama has also
authorized the additional personnel to operate at Iraqi military facilities
outside Baghdad and Erbil. Until now, U.S. troops have been operating a joint
operation centre setup with Iraqi forces there.
The announcement is part of a $5.6 billion funding request to
Congress and came just after Obama met with congressional leaders Friday.
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