The White House had announced the plan to deploy roughly 450 additional troops to Iraq Wednesday in a bid to offset recent battle losses and help Iraqi forces prepare for a campaign to retake western Iraq’s Anbar province from Daesh.
“The security situation of Anbar province does not require sending more American advisors to the military bases,” al-Hashd al-Shaabi spokesman Karim al-Nouri told Anadolu Agency.
Al-Nouri stressed that al-Hashd al-Shaabi forces have the capacity to “liberate” Anbar province without the international coalition’s support.
“The decision of the U.S. has two goals. The first is to contain the criticism against Washington that it is to blame for the fall of [Anbar provincial capital] Ramadi to Daesh,” al-Nouri said.
“The second goal, which is more distinct, is to send more American military advisors to Anbar to steal the victory that will be achieved by the hands of al-Hashd al-Shaabi forces in the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah.”
There are tens of U.S. military experts in three military bases in the central-north Saladin province, near al-Baghdadi district and east of Ramadi in the western Anbar province.
Ramadi fell to Daesh on May 14, with U.S. officials initially scrambling to minimize the significance of the strategic defeat.
But Defense Secretary Ashton Carter strongly critiqued the performance of Iraqi forces against Daesh last month, questioning if they have the determination to meet Daesh in the battlefield.
www.aa.com.tr
11/6/15
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White House: No Immediate Plans for More Bases in Iraq ...
ReplyDeleteThe White House says there are no immediate plans to open up more bases in Iraq. The remarks come a day after President Obama authorized 450 additional troops to a fifth Iraqi base to assist local forces in the fight against the Islamic State militant group in Anbar province.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, told reporters Thursday that U.S. troops stationed at al-Taqqadam Air Base in Anbar could be a model for additional hubs in Iraq, where American military personnel train, assist and advise Iraqi forces.
When asked about additional bases, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday there are no “immediate or specific plans” to add U.S. troops to Iraq, and that Dempsey’s comments simply reflect his role in long-term and contingency planning.....voanews.com
11/6/15