ENDLESS WAR

Pentagon to Send 600 More Troops to Iraq

Bringing the official tally to more than 5,000.

The Department of Defense will send 600 more U.S. troops to Iraq to assist in the fight to remove ISIS from the key city of Mosul, the Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday. “In anticipation of the Mosul fight, the United States and the government of Iraq have agreed that additional U.S. and coalition capabilities could help accelerate the campaign at this critical phase,” Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said in a statement. “At the request of myself and Chairman Dunford, and with the support and approval of Prime Minister Abadi, President Obama has authorized approximately 600 additional U.S. troops to further enable Iraqi forces.” The troops, he said, will “provide specific capabilities including logistics and maintenance support; train, advise and assist teams for Iraqi Security Forces and Kurdish Peshmerga for the upcoming Mosul operation; and expanded intelligence resources to help disrupt ISIL's terrorist network in Iraq and beyond.” The additional 600 troops will bring the official tally of U.S. soldiers in Iraq to more than 5,000.