Pentagon officials have concluded after weeks of meetings with President Obama’s national security team that more troops are needed in Iraq and Syria to fight the Islamic State, and that a boost of about 20 percent will happen in the future.
Though military officials have told the White House they have made significant progress in fighting the terror group, more troops are required in order to deliver a knock out punch. The forces will also have to work with Iraqi, Kurdish and Syrian opposition fighters in both Iraq and Syria, military officials said.
There are currently about 3,700 U.S.troops in Iraq, including a small number of Special Operations forces in Syria that have arrived over the past year and a half. One official told the New York Times he anticipates that number rising but not to more than 4,500 over time.
Though prior requests for more troops have been met with skepticism by Obama, the quick rise of the Islamic State worries the White House, and a senior administration official has said the president is willing considering the move.
Peter Cook, a spokesman for the Pentagon, told the New York Times that commanders are still studying whether they will need more U.S. forces in the region. “Once our commanders on the ground have a clearer picture of the capabilities required to accelerate the campaign, as well as the contributions from our coalition partners, we will have a better idea what if any additional resources may be needed,” he said.
