WASHINGTON (AP) – Edging back into a military role in Iraq, President Barack Obama on Thursday said he was dispatching up to 300 military advisers to help quell the rising insurgency in the crumbling nation. He called on Iraqi leaders to govern with a more “inclusive agenda” to ensure the country does not descend into civil war.
Though not specifically mentioning airstrikes, an option the U.S. has been considering, Obama said he was leaving open the possibility of “targeted and precise military action” in the future. He said the U.S. also would increase its intelligence efforts in Iraq and create joint operations centers in Baghdad and northern Iraq.
When coupled with previously announced steps, Obama’s actions could put about 600 additional U.S. troops back on the ground in Iraq. The 300 military advisers he announced Thursday would join up to 275 being positioned in and around Iraq to provide security and support for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and other American interests.
Mindful of what he called “the deep scars left by America’s war in Iraq,” Obama was adamant that U.S. troops would not be returning to combat.
“We do not have the ability to simply solve this problem by sending in tens of thousands of troops and committing the kinds of blood and treasure that has already been expended in Iraq,” Obama told reporters in the White House briefing room. “Ultimately, this is something that is going to have to be solved by Iraqis.”