WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has about 5,000 service members in Iraq, officials said Monday, far more than previously reported, as the Obama administration quietly expands ground operations against the Islamic State.
The number of American forces in Iraq has come under increased scrutiny since the death of a Marine staff sergeant during the weekend. It was the second combat casualty in renewed U.S. operations in Iraq.
He was killed when militants launched rockets at a small U.S. base around the city of Makhmour. The existence of the Marine detachment had not been known prior to Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin’s death.
Officials at the Pentagon have declined to specify how Marines are serving at the outpost in northern Iraq, which they described as a satellite base positioned to protect American trainers at a nearby, larger base. Their presence in Iraq highlights the use of forces from Navy ships already in the Middle East.
The Defense Department also has reversed an earlier position and is now declining to confirm how many forces are in Iraq, saying only that the number of officially assigned forces is below the current cap of 3,870.
“People come through on a temporary basis and go above and below the force cap all the time, but we remain under our force cap,” said Col. Steve Warren, a U.S. military spokesman.
But officials privately acknowledge that the total troop number, while it varies from day to day, now stands around 5,000. The more than 1,000 personnel above the official cap include the Marines in northern Iraq along with military officials handling foreign military sales and other defense cooperation matters.
Having the ability to add additional personnel, whose deployments are seen as more temporary than the force of 3,870, “gives the theater commander the ability to move forces around,” a U.S. military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel issues.
The 3,870 troops include American trainers and advisers in the country.
The White House has sought to minimize the combat role of American forces in Iraq. But officials have recognized the need for support to Iraqi forces, which are slowly making progress in dislodging militants in major urban areas.
