The State Department insisted Monday that the decision to send another 560 special forces troops to Iraq is not a sign of mission creep, even as the U.S. is now close to having 5,000 troops there.
“It ain’t mission creep if the mission ain’t changing,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “The mission’s not changing in Iraq with respect to what U.S. troops are doing in a train, advise and assist capacity.”
The Defense Department said Monday morning that the 560 additional troops were going to help recapture Mosul from the Islamic State. The plan is to help with “logistical needs,” a sign that the administration doesn’t see the troops having any direct combat responsibility.
That said, U.S. troops have been caught up in, and been killed in, combat situations, which has led Republicans to say the administration is playing word games by refusing to call them combat forces.
Kirby said the troops were sent after a full discussion with Iraqi officials, but didn’t say specifically that Iraq requested the additional forces.
“It was done in full consultation and coordination with the Iraqi government,” he said. “All of our troops in Iraq are there at the invitation and support of the Iraqi government. That won’t change with this additional deployment.”
