Obama to Send Additional Troops to Protect US Embassy in Baghdad

By Steven Hogg - 03 Sep '14 02:05AM

President Obama has decided to send about 350 additional troops to Baghdad.

President Obama has taken this step to protect the U.S. Embassy in the Iraqi capital. He is also sending top officers to other Middle East countries to foster a stronger regional alliance in fighting the Islamic State militants, the White House said Tuesday in a press release, reports Reuters.

However, the additional military personnel going to Baghdad would not serve in a combat role.

The move by President Obama to send additional troops comes on the same day the Islamic State militants released the video showing the beheading of the Second American hostage, Steven Sotloff.

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said that the latest decision to send more military personnel to Baghdad will bring the total number of troops in Iraq to around 820, reports Fox News.

The White house also said that the Unites States is supporting the Iraqi government against the Islamic State which is a threat not only to Iraq but to the whole of Middle East. It also poses danger to the U.S. personnel in the region.

"The president will be consulting this week with NATO allies regarding additional actions to take against ISIL and to develop a broad-based international coalition to implement a comprehensive strategy to protect our people and to support our partners in the fight against ISIL," the press release said, according to Fox News.

Meanwhile, U.S. military officials said that the airstrike conducted on Monday against the Islamic State militants in Iraq had destroyed 16 armed vehicles in the vicinity of the Mosul dam.