The Obama administration is about to announce that the U.S. will send more troops to Iraq to boost the training of local forces. Officials say it’s a response to recent setbacks at the hands of the Islamic State militants, and to Baghdad’s appeals for more help. The officials say fewer than 500 troops will be sent. Under the expected plan, the number of U.S. training sites in Iraq would increase from four to five. That would enable a larger number of Iraqis to join the fight against the Islamic militant group. Most of the fighters would be Sunni tribal volunteers. The decision comes just days after President Barack Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Germany. The plan does not signal a shift in strategy, and questions remain about the Iraqi government’s ability to recruit more fighters to be trained. House Speaker John Boehner says sending several hundred military advisers to Iraq “is a step in the right direction.” But at a news conference today, he repeatedly criticized Obama for not having “an overarching strategy” for dealing with the Islamic State.
