WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama authorized an expansion Friday of the U.S. military mission in Iraq that will boost the number of American service members there to about 3,100 and spread advisory teams and trainers to the north and west where fighting with Islamic State militants has been fierce.
The president’s decision to escalate the U.S. effort in Iraq comes amid persistent arguments that more U.S. troops are needed to bolster Iraqi forces. In particular, there have been calls to send troops to the western Anbar province, where extremists have been slaughtering men, women and children.
Obama authorized the Pentagon to send 1,500 service members to Iraq in addition to the 1,600 previously allowed. He also is asking Congress for more than $5 billion to fund the fight.
Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said the military will set up training sites to instruct Iraqi brigades, and also establish two operations centers where advisory teams can work with Iraqi forces at the headquarters and brigade levels.
A senior military official said one of those centers will be in Anbar Province and that it is likely that the bulk of the additional troops will be in Iraq by the end of the year.
