President Barack Obama said the United States is sending up to 300 military advisers to help Iraqi forces stem violent sectarian fighting and is prepared to take targeted military actions if they would help fight the growing threat from extremist militants.
Obama said on Thursday US forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq but will help train Iraqis. The President said the US has increased its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in Iraq to better understand the threats to Baghdad.
Obama, who offered an update to US operations in Iraq after meeting with his national security team, said the United States is forming joint operations centers in Baghdad and northern Iraq.
Obama and his national security team met to discuss how strongly to press Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to undertake reforms and make his government more inclusive. Top US officials believe that giving more credence to Sunni concerns about al-Maliki may offer the best opportunity to stave off another deadly round of sectarian fighting of the kind that engulfed Iraq less than a decade ago.