President Barack Obama has been on record saying he will not send more troops back into combat in Iraq, but there is a new change on the horizon. As revealed in a letter sent to Congress on Monday, the president will be sending 275 troops to guard the U.S. Embassy and other domestic interests while potentially deploying special forces as well.
According to a report from the Associated Press, the troops are not heading into combat but instead will be placed in security roles to support the 160 troops already in Iraq on the special detail. The administration is also considering sending special forces into the region to head off any potential insurgent activity.
The AP has more:
The mission almost certainly would be small: One U.S. official said it could be up to 100 special forces soldiers. It also could be authorized only as an advising and training mission — meaning the soldiers would work closely with Iraqi forces that are fighting the insurgency but would not officially be considered as combat troops.
The Iraqi government made allowances for the troops to return to the country. Although their mission is laid out as non-combat, the soldiers will have explicit right to defend themselves if they fall under attack.
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Photo: YouTube/Whitehouse.gov
