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July 29, 2016

Iraq: U.S. Military Expands Role of Troops
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The Pentagon has announced it is expanding an "advise and assist
mission" for U.S. troops in Iraq as some of them are deploying along
with a conventional Iraqi army unit for the first time in years. In
April, President Obama authorized U.S. combat advisers to deploy with
Iraqi army forces at lower levels. Until then, they had been largely
confined to bases and special forces missions. The announcement comes as
officers have spoken about an "imminent" offensive against Mosul, the
largest city held by ISIS. Earlier this month, the Pentagon raised the
number of soldiers in Iraq to more than 4,600. There are also at least
3,000 U.S. military contractors in the country.


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