Iraq has said that any deployment of foreign troops on its soil can not happen without approval of its government.
While US authorities are supposed to work together with their Iraqi counterparts, there may be occasions when the Iraqi government won’t be notified in advance about a certain operation.
He said the expanded USA presence ultimately will allow for targeted raids and other operations in Syria, where Islamic State _ also known as ISIL _ is based.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, later told AFP the number would be about 200.
In an attempt to increase the pressure in the fight against Islamic State militants, a new Special Operations task force will be formed in Iraq, said Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter on Tuesday.
“It puts everyone on notice in Syria: You don’t know at night who’s coming through the window”, Carter said. “The Iraqi government wants United States troops to be helping with the effort and move ISIL off its territory”.
Some U.S. Special Operations forces now operate inside Iraq in an advise-and-assist role with Iraqi and Kurdish forces, but have not engaged in unilateral raids, U.S. officials said. One US troop died in the operation. “Our effectiveness is inextricably linked to the quality of the intelligence that we have”, he said.
“I think we’ve got to do something”.
The U.S. military conducted similar operations in Iraq to take out senior Al Qaeda leadership, such as the mission led by Gen. Stanley McChrystal which killed Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in June 2006.
Obama “is edging as closely as he can to try to fill this … gap without violating in a technical sense his own “boots on the ground” dictum”, Hof said, referring to Obama’s frequent pledges not to return to United States troops to a large-scale ground war.
Carter said Iraq will be a partner in any attacks. If more forces are needed, the chairman said he wouldn’t “feel at all inhibited about making recommendations that would cause us to grow greater than 3,500”. The latest force includes intelligence personnel, aircraft pilots and mechanics in addition to a quick reaction force.
“However, today’s announcement is yet another reactive and incremental step”, he said. The alliance has conducted over 8,000 air strikes in the past year.
Carter was joined by his top commanding officer General Joe Dunford.
David Cameron, UK prime minister, called for military intervention in ISIL-held areas of Syria after the group’s attacks in Paris on November 13, which left 130 people dead.