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Iraq Says It Could Deploy Military into Syria

by Associated Press

   BAGHDAD --

   Iraq's prime minister says his government could deploy troops inside
   Syria, in the latest fallout from the U.S. decision to withdraw from
   the war-torn country.
   Adel Abdul-Mahdi says his government is "considering all the options"
   to protect Iraq from threats across its borders.

   The U.S. stunned the international community last Thursday when it
   announced it would pull its forces out of Syria, leaving its allies,
   the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, to fight the the Islamic
   State group alone.

   IS militants hold a pocket of territory along the Syrian-Iraqi border.
   Iraq is keeping reinforcements at the frontier.

   Abdul-Mahdi spoke to reporters at a press conference on Monday.