The United States will send more 560 soldiers to Iraq, bringing the total number to 4657 units deployed. This is the decision of the White House.
The move, announced a few minutes ago by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, was adopted in view of the Mosul offensive. Carter reached Baghdad this morning to meet with Iraqi leaders and discuss the next steps of the campaign against the Islamic state.
The additional troops, approved by President Barack Obama, will be predominantly made up of operators of the special departments. The latter, squeezed to the bone by the Obama administration, will remain a distinctive sign of the outgoing president's global counter-insurgency strategy.
The announcement came a few days after the conquest, by the Iraqi forces, of an important airport, 40 miles south of Mosul, which will be converted to hub for future offensives.
The Qayyarah Airfield West - said Carter - will be our launch pad for the final victory over Mosul.
Between the 2003 and the 2010, Key West, this is the name given by the Americans to the airport, was the main port of the US C-5 Galaxy fleet.
Carter then met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Defense Minister Khaled al-Obaidi and President of the Kurdish autonomous region of Iraq Masoud Barzani.
"The Iraqi security forces trained by the Americans and the Kurdish peshmerga fighters will play a key role in the long campaign to win back Mosul."
The city of 2,5 millions of people is under the control of the Islamic State since June of the 2014. The assault on Mosul, according to the plans discussed, will take place from two positions. Iraqi troops will attack Mosul from the south, while Kurdish troops from the north.
Although plans to reconquer the city have been discussed, operations on Mosul are not imminent.
(photo: US Army)
