Obama to send hundreds more advisers to Iraq

[Geee]

The Hill:

The Obama administration is planning to send about 400 additional trainers to Iraq to train Iraqi forces against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to the New York Times.

 

The decision comes after an embarrassing defeat of Iraqi forces at Ramadi last month to the terrorist group, prompting the administration to reconsider its training and equipping program for Iraqi forces.

 

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Iraqi forces in Ramadi had lacked the "will to fight," and Sunni tribal fighters there had complained of not receiving any training or equipment from the central government.

 

After the defeat, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he had asked a team of top military officials to put together options for enhancing the train and equip program, a key part of the administration's strategy in Iraq.

 

The Pentagon had said earlier Wednesday that providing training directly to Sunni tribal fighters was one of those options. The U.S. has so far left the task of training and equipping Sunni forces up to Baghdad, out of concern it could worsen sectarian tensions or undermine the Shia-dominated central government.

[Valin]

@Geee

 

 

The decision comes after months of debate about the strategy,

 

And herein lays the problem.

 

Additionally I've been hearing that these decisions are made in the WH (which is fine) with no DoD present and with very little input by the Pentagon (A Very Bad Thing) by a small group of political operatives....(this is really Really REALLY Bad).