More U.S. troops being sent to Iraq

Ryan Shirley, Staff Writer

Friday, General Joseph Dunford said that he and Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, think that “there will be an increase to the U.S. forces in Iraq in the coming weeks.” Therefore no final decision on  troop deployments had been made yet.

“Mosul is the primary target in 2016,” Nick Heras,of the Center for a New American Security,told CNN. Most experts believe that the additional troops will be used to free the city of Mosul from ISIS control.

Heras said, “Taking Mosul will require more fighters than the Iraqi security forces have and those new forces have to be trained,” which means the U.S. will need to be there to help.

A source from the U.S. defense force told CNN that of the 3,800 stated limit of troops allowed in Iraq they actually have between 4,500 and 5000 which does include the 200 Special Operations Forces who are not officially recognised as being there.

The United States and Iraqi governments have both made the decision not to publicly reveal the exact number of U.S. troops currently in Iraq, coalition spokesperson Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters earlier this week.

Dunford said that his accounting of the troops and noncombat participants has been correct during the 15 years we have been engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan and blames the overlap on the rotations embassy workers and other temporary in country workers.