Carter: 560 U.S. troops to deploy to Iraq
 
  By DoD News
  **WASHINGTON (July 11, 2016)  —**
During his visit
 to Baghdad today, Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with Iraqi leaders, 
coalition commanders and U.S. troops and also announced that the United 
States, in close consultation with the Iraqi government, will deploy an 
additional 560 troops to Iraq to assist in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, according to a DoD news release. "At every step in this campaign, we have generated and seized 
additional opportunities to hasten ISIL's lasting defeat," Carter said. 
"These additional U.S. forces will bring unique capabilities to the 
campaign and provide critical enabler support to Iraqi forces at a key 
moment in the fight." Carter met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi and other 
Iraqi leaders, commending them for recent progress in the fight against 
ISIL, including the capture of a strategic airfield near the town of 
Qayyarah that will aid operations to free Mosul, the release said. "With the retaking of Qayyarah West airfield, the Iraqi 
security forces have once again demonstrated a serious will to fight," 
the defense secretary said. "I congratulate them on their recent 
successes and reaffirm that the United States, along with our coalition 
partners, will continue to do all we can to support Iraq's effort to 
serve ISIL a lasting defeat." **Building on Counter-ISIL Momentum** Carter also discussed the next steps in the counter-ISIL 
military campaign, the release said. In light of Iraqi security forces’ 
recent advances, the release said, the defense secretary announced that 
the United States, in close coordination with the Iraqi government, will
 deploy an additional 560 troops to Iraq to build on that momentum. The additional troops, the release said, will provide a range 
of support for Iraqi security forces, including infrastructure and 
logistical capabilities at the airfield near Qayyarah. As the campaign shifts toward Mosul -- more than 250 miles from
 Baghdad -- the airfield will become a vital springboard for Iraqi 
forces’ offensive into Mosul, the release said. Coalition forces will 
also continue to provide enabler support to Kurdish Peshmerga as they 
converge on Mosul from Iraq's north, according to the release. Obama approved the additional forces on Carter's recommendation
 after consulting with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Marine Corps Gen. 
Joe Dunford, U.S. Central Command commander Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel, 
and the commander of Operation Inherent Resolve, Army Lt. Gen. Sean 
MacFarland, the release said. In his meeting with the Iraqi prime minister, the defense 
secretary also expressed his condolences for the recent tragic bombing 
in Baghdad, the release said. **Efforts to Protect Iraqis Against ISIL Attacks** Carter said the United States is prepared to bolster its 
support for Iraqi government efforts to protect Iraqi civilians from 
ISIL terror attacks, according to the release. U.S. forces already share intelligence and with their Iraqi 
counterparts, the defense secretary said, noting he is directing the 
Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency -- which leads the department's 
efforts to counter improvised explosive device -- to provide additional 
assistance that could enhance security in Baghdad. Carter's visit comes as the international coalition has 
intensified pressure on ISIL in both Iraq and Syria, the release said. 
In addition to the capture of the airbase at Qayyarah, Iraqi forces 
backed by coalition air power and other support recently freed the city 
of Fallujah from ISIL's control after previous gains in Ramadi, Hit and 
Rutbah, according to the release. In Syria, local forces backed by the coalition have surrounded 
the city of Manbij, a hub for the flow of ISIL foreign fighters, the 
release said. The defense secretary said the U.S. is also prepared to 
step up its efforts to help vetted Syrian forces willing to take on 
ISIL. To ensure ISIL's defeat is truly lasting, Carter stressed 
throughout his visit the need for economic aid and reconstruction 
efforts to keep pace with progress in the military campaign, the release
 said. The defense secretary closed his trip to Iraq, his fourth as 
secretary of defense, by thanking U.S. troops for their dedication, 
sacrifice and willingness to keep America safe, the release said.