Securing America: President Obama OKs Sending More U.S. Troops To Iraq

This month, more U.S. troops head to Iraq. Are they going back to war?

FOX News Radio’s Steve Taylor reports from Washington:

Securing America. 

President Obama has authorized the Pentagon to double the number of American training troops in Iraq.

(Kirby) “Up to 1,500 additional U.S. personnel over the coming months, in a non-combat role, to expand our advise and assist mission and initiate a comprehensive training effort for Iraqi forces.”

Defense Department spokesman John Kirby says Iraq’s government asked for more American and allied support forces, but that Iraqi troops will continue to carry the ground battle against ISIS.

(Kirby) “This will be an additional up to — I want to stress that — up to 1500. It doesn’t mean that they’re going to get to 1500.”

Kirby denies that the administration held back the announcement until after the mid-term elections…

(Kirby) “There was no, ah, political angle to the timing here.”

And, in fact the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said five days before the elections, that a troop increase might be coming.

In Washington, Steve Taylor, FOX News Radio.