Iraq insists foreign forces not needed to fight IS

According to Al Jazeera, the Iraqi government wants US troops to help fight ISIS terrorists in Iraq.

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said on Tuesday that the US was deploying a “specialised expeditionary targeting force” to Iraq to work alongside local forces against ISIS, which overran large parts of Iraq a year ago.

Carter said the US special ops would consult Baghdad but would not be required to given the Iraqi government advance notice that an operation was underway. What we’re doing, what this administration is doing, is incrementally adding capabilities and in reaction to ISIS activities. “We’re good at intelligence, we’re good at mobility, we’re good at surprise”.

Kerry expressed “full and total respect” for al-Abadi’s leadership, and said plans would go forward “in full consultation and with full consent of the Iraqi government”.

Though the new special forces troops will be based in Iraq, they will have the ability to also conduct raids across the border into northern Syria. The latest force includes intelligence personnel, aircraft pilots and mechanics in addition to a quick reaction force.

Germany recently approved sending forces and materiel for non-combat support roles near the Middle East. A British vote is expected later Wednesday on expanding that country’s airstrikes against IS into Syria.

At the same hearing, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, raised eyebrows when he said that ISIS had not been contained by the U.S.-led coalition, contrary to President Obama’s assessment earlier this month. They have not gained ground in Iraq.

The remarks were aired a day before ISIS militants carried out a series of coordinated attacks in Paris, killing 130 people and injuring more than 350 others.

The specially trained commandos will be involved in direct combat against ISIS extremists, but the Pentagon insists their mission doesn’t contradict a White House pledge to avoid USA “boots on the ground” and did not constitute “mission creep” in which the United States gets incrementally bogged down in a ground war against the ISIS group.