President Obama Orders New U.S. Troop Escalation in Iraq - Drones, Helicopters, Security Forces

[bigtree]

Last edited Mon Jun 30, 2014, 06:53 PM - Edit history (3)

Jason Ukman ?@JasonUkman 10m
Breaking: Obama orders up to "approximately 200 additional U.S. Armed Forces personnel to Iraq." To reinforce embassy and airport security.

Zeke Miller ?@ZekeJMiller 8m
Additional U.S. personnel to secure Embassy Baghdad, support facilities, and Baghdad International Airport per Obama letter


ABC - Obama Sending 200 More US Troops to Iraq
WASHINGTON — Jun 30, 2014, 5:26 PM ET

President Barack Obama says he's sending about 200 more U.S. troops to Iraq to protect Americans and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

The announcement will bring to nearly 800 the total number of U.S. forces in and around Iraq to train local forces, secure the embassy and protect American interests.

Obama notified House and Senate leaders in a letter on Monday. Obama says the additions include security forces, rotary-wing aircraft, and support for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Obama says the troops will stay in Iraq until security improves so that the reinforcements are no longer needed


Zeke Miller ?@ZekeJMiller 2m
Obama orders drones, helicopters, more security forces to Baghdad http://time.com/2942561/obama-troops-baghdad/ …

The deployment is on top of the about 170 American troops Obama ordered into Baghdad to defend the American embassy earlier in June, when an additional 100 were kept in reserve outside of Iraq, and separate from the roughly 300 special forces troops he has authorized to begin advising Iraqi security forces. This brings the total number of troops Obama has authorized to be sent to Iraq to nearly 800.

The additional troops include security forces, rotary-wing aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby.

Kirby said the approximately 200 troops arrived Sunday, and that the 100-person force that was held in reserve earlier in June will move into Baghdad as well.

“The presence of these additional forces will help enable the embassy to continue its critical diplomatic mission and work with Iraq on challenges they are facing as they confront Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),” Kirby said in a statement.

[JaneyVee]

1. I hope by reinforce embassy and airport he means

To evacuate all Americans the fuck out of there.

[enlightenment]

2. Is that 200 on top of the 300

or the remaining 200 of the 300?

[bigtree]

3. breaking with reporters, not on the wire yet

. . . but the language in the reports says 'additional'.

Mark Knoller ?@markknoller 17m
Pres Obama notifies Congress of another 200 military personnel deployed to Iraq for security at US Embassy and Baghdad Intl Airport.

Olivier Knox ?@OKnox 18m
Obama notifies Congress: 200 more Americans deployed to Iraq, "equipped for combat," to protect embassy.

[enlightenment]

5. Well, I wasn't happy with the idea of 300 "advisors"

I'm really not happy with an additional 200 combat troops.

Mission creep sucks. He just needs to pull them out. Now.

[bigtree]

4. got the report from ABC. It's an additional 300

Last edited Mon Jun 30, 2014, 07:57 PM - Edit history (1)

"The announcement will bring to nearly 800 the total number of U.S. forces in and around Iraq to train local forces, secure the embassy and protect American interests."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-sending-200-us-troops-iraq-24372122

[enlightenment]

6. I will now write something I rarely write on a public board.

Fuck that.

*pardon my language*

[octoberlib]

7. I wonder if this is in response to

Risen's NYT article. Under Bush private security companies performed these jobs.

[bigtree]

9. they needed airport security

. . .and were looking for international help. I guess it didn't materialize. Looks like there are other ambitions driving this, though, in reconnaissance and in the 'training' of Iraqis they've said they want or need.

It's always going to be something putting pressure on them to escalate the force; especially if there's some wild divergence from their plans (of course, they could have planned this incrementalism all along to obscure public awareness of a wider force).

It's Iraq, what could go wrong?

[Glorfindel]

8. Shit. That hellhole is not WORTH American blood or American money. WTF, Obama?

[RoverSuswade]

10. I have that 1964 feeing.

"Looks like I will be vacationing in Vietnam soon"

[NightWatcher]

11. yay, another shitty sequel

We'll keep just enough people over there to absorb a few daily casualties and accomplish nothing.

[bigtree]

12. »