By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
U.S. President Barack Obama struck an adamant tone that U.S. combat troops will not be used in Iraq to fight extremists, as he emphasized that local forces would have to take the lead in ground operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Obama said Wednesday that U.S. forces “will support Iraqi forces on the ground as they fight for their own country against these terrorists,” while speaking to service members at U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida. "But I want to be clear: The American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission."
Obama has long maintained that ground troops would not be used in combat operations against ISIL.
Under a new strategy announced by the American president last week, the U.S. will lead an international coalition to carry out airstrikes against the militants throughout Iraq, and would for the first time strike them in Syria.
"Our reach is long. If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven. We will find you eventually," he said to rounds of applause.
On Tuesday, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey said that he might recommend the use of combat troops to Obama should the expanded strategy fail to root out the militants.
But Obama seemed to outright reject that suggestion.
“As your commander in chief, I will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq,” he said. “After a decade of massive ground deployments, it is more effective to use our unique capabilities in support of partners on the ground so they can secure their own countries’ futures.”
As part of the expanded strategy, the U.S. plans to redouble efforts to train Iraqi security forces, and vet members of the Syrian opposition.
“The one thing we have learned is that when we do things alone and the people of those countries aren’t doing it for themselves, as soon as we leave we start getting the same problems,” Obama said. “We can’t do it for them, but this is an effort that calls on America’s unique abilities and responsibilities to lead.”
The Pentagon intends to train, equip and resupply more than 5,000 Syrian fighters per year at facilities in Saudi Arabia under a $500 million plan.
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