More U.S. troops headed to Iraq

The Pentagon is sending an additional 560 U.S. troops to Iraq to help in the battle against Islamic State (ISIS) fighters, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced today. With the additional troops, the United States will have about 4,647 troops in the country. The new troops will provide support roles to Iraqi forces fighting on the ground against the Islamic terror group, installing additional security measures and communications equipment at Qayyarah Air Base. Iraqi forces retook the former U.S. facility from ISIS over the weekend. Defense officials describe it as an “important springboard” in the effort to retake Mosul, the so-called Islamic State capital. But the newly arriving troops will have their work cut out for them. Iraqi officials say airstrikes used to oust ISIS fighters left little of the airfield’s infrastructure intact.