The Obama administration has approved sending 450 additional troops to Iraq in a bid to assist local Sunni tribal forces and the Iraqi military fight the Islamic State.
The troops will train, advise and assist at an Iraqi military base in eastern Anbar province.
The change in strategy comes after a string of embarassing defeats for Iraqi forces to ISIS fighters, most notably the fall of the key city of Ramadi.
White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said the administration had been weighing up sending in more troops, but had been waiting for a request from the Iraqi government, which only came after Ramadi had fallen.
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White House spokesperson Josh Earnest insisted the strategy of training local forces is the right approach.
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OUT: exactly that."
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