Defense Dept.Wants More Troops in Iraq, Syria; Hundreds More US Troops Needed to Defeat IS

Hundreds of additional forces -- including trainers, advisers, and commandos -- are needed in the fight against the Islamic State (IS), Pentagon top brass has conceded, prompting Department of Defense officials to urge the White House to approve further deployments to Iraq and Syria in the next few weeks, the Washington Times website reports today (February 1, 2016).

Defense Department officials told the White House that the U.S.-led effort to destroy the Islamic State requires still more manpower in addition to the roughly 3,700 American troops already in Iraq.

Admission from the Obama administration that more troops are needed followed recent remarks from Defense Department officials who expressed a desire to adjust U.S. operations abroad.

"We're looking for opportunities to do more," Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told CNN in an interview last week. "We're not looking to substitute for local forces in terms of governing the place and policing the place."