Daesh in Iraq just got some bad news.
“To improve the capabilities and effectiveness of partners on the ground, [President Obama] authorized deployment of up to 450 additional U.S. military personnel to train, advise and assist Iraqi security forces at Taqaddum military base in eastern Anbar province,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said June 10.
The new advisers will help build the capacity of Iraqi forces, including local tribal fighters, to plan, lead and conduct operations against Daesh in eastern Anbar province. The advisers at Taqaddum will complement U.S. and coalition trainers currently at four other sites in Iraq.
U.S. military and coalition trainers already have trained 9,000 Iraqi troops. Another 3,000 troops are now in training.
The decision to add a U.S. military presence at Taqaddum will directly support the plan endorsed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s Cabinet May 19 for the liberation of Anbar province.
The campaign against Daesh “works best when we have a capable partner that we are supporting on the ground, and where Iraqis are able to pursue an inclusive approach to their politics and their efforts to provide for the security of the Iraqi people,” White House adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters.
Iraqi troops with coalition support have proven they can perform well on the battlefield, Earnest said at a press briefing.
It’s becoming clear “that the kind of training that these Iraqi security forces are getting from the United States and our coalition partners is having a positive impact in their performance on the battlefield,” Earnest said. “And that’s a good thing.”
Obama also directed expedited delivery of essential equipment and materiel to Iraqi forces, including Sunni tribes, in coordination with the government of Iraq.
The United States reaffirmed support for Prime Minister Abadi and other Iraqi leaders in building an inclusive government that offers all of Iraq’s diverse communities a say in determining the country’s future.
The United States is leading more than 60 partners in a global coalition to defeat Daesh in Iraq and Syria.