July 3, 2014
Zaina Kahuk
News Writer
Headlines
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday that the U.S. troops who recently arrived in Iraq wont take part in any battles, although they will be able to defend themselves when in need. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey stated that insurgents in Iraq appear to be stretched, having difficulty with supplies and consolidating gains they have made. Dempsey denied the notion that there is “mission creep,” and that U.S. forces will be drawn deeper into the conflict. As of Tuesday, there were 650 troops in Iraq, 470 of them to protect American personnel and property at the embassy and Baghdad International Airport. The rest are there to assess the security situation in Iraq and assist Iraqi forces in dealing with the threat from Islamic extremists who have captured key cities.
