But President Barack Obama's administration is not contemplating a radical change in war strategy or sending American forces into ground combat -- despite advances by the Islamic State group on the battlefield.
"We've determined it is better to train more Iraqi security forces. We are now working through a strategy on how to do that," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren told reporters.
"Because the forces we've trained are performing better than expected, we feel it's in everyone's interest to train more."
Warren acknowledged that an expanded training effort -- if approved -- could require additional American troops deploying to Iraq, beyond the current force of roughly 3,000 advisers and trainers.
Defense officials told AFP several hundred additional US forces might be required.
"It's very incremental," a defense official said on condition of anonymity.
A ramped up training program could mean deploying "less than a thousand" troops at most, as well as increasing the number of training sites from the four currently being used, the official said.
The training effort would carry "a particular emphasis on the Sunnis," the official said...
AFP
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
10/6/15
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US President Barack Obama, reprising a phrase that caused uproar in Washington last year, said on Monday the US does not yet have a "complete strategy" for training Iraqi security forces to retake territory seized by Islamic State (IS) fighters...
ReplyDeleteSpeaking to reporters after meeting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G7) nations summit in Germany, Obama said progress was needed to stem the flow of foreign fighters into Syria and Iraq.
All countries in an international coalition waging an air campaign against the Sunni Islamist militants were ready to do more to train Iraqi security forces if that would help.
"We want to get more Iraqi security forces trained, fresh, well-equipped and focused and Abadi wants the same thing so we're reviewing a range of plans for how we might do that," Obama told a news conference.
"We don't yet have a complete strategy because it requires commitments on the part of the Iraqis as well about how recruitment takes place, how that training takes place and so the details of that are not yet worked out."
Obama was flayed by domestic critics in September after saying "we don't have a strategy yet" to combat IS fighters in Syria after they beheaded a US journalist on camera........http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/926248.shtml
U.S. plans new military base in Iraq’s Anbar...
ReplyDeleteThe Obama administration is preparing a plan to set up a new military base in Iraq's Anbar province and send several hundred additional trainers and advisers to help bolster Iraqi forces that have struggled in the fight against ISIS militants there, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
President Barack Obama could give final approval as early as Wednesday to expand the U.S. military contingent in Iraq, a source close to the discussions said, marking the first significant adjustment in his strategy since the insurgents seized Anbar’s capital Ramadi last month.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed hope that a even a modestly beefed-up U.S. presence could help Iraq forces plan and carry out a counterattack to retake Ramadi.
But many critics have said previously that the current 3,100-strong American contingent of trainers and advisers is far from enough to turn the tide of battle......Reuters.....alarabiya.net
10/6/15
Obama autorise l'envoi de 450 militaires supplémentaires en Irak...
ReplyDeleteLe président Barack Obama a autorisé, mercredi, le déploiement de 450 militaires américains supplémentaires en Irak pour accélérer la formation des troupes locales engagées dans la lutte contre l'EI.
Le président américain Barack Obama a donné son feu vert, mercredi 10 juin, au déploiement de 450 militaires américains supplémentaires en Irak, afin d'accélérer la formation des forces gouvernementales irakiennes et leurs alliés, engagés contre l’organisation de l'État islamique (EI).
Les effectifs américains seront déployés sur la base militaire de Takaddoum, dans la province d'Anbar, précise le communiqué de la Maison Blanche. Ces effectifs supplémentaires, à l’instar des 3 100 soldats déjà présents dans le pays, n'ont pas vocation à prendre part aux combats.
Barack Obama, qui a pris cette décision à la demande du Premier ministre irakien Haïdar al-Abadi, a également ordonné la livraison rapide de matériel et d'équipements "essentiels" aux forces irakiennes, y compris aux combattants des tribus et aux Peshmerga qui opèrent sous commandement irakien.
Il s'agira notamment de faciliter la coopération entre les forces gouvernementales irakiennes et les tribus sunnites opposées à l'EI, avait auparavant souligné un responsable américain. "Les sunnites veulent prendre part au combat", a-t-il indiqué........france24.com
10/6/15