The United States has deployed another warship to the Gulf region and is considering dispatching a small unit of special forces to Iraq even as President Barack Obama is still deliberating on launching targeted airstrikes against the marauding ISIS insurgents, who were reported to be just about 60 km from Baghdad on Tuesday.
The Pentagon announced that the USS Mesa Verde, with 550 Marines on board, has arrived in the Gulf to join an aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush, a destroyer and a guided-missile cruiser.
Its induction in the region “provides the commander-in-chief (President Obama) additional options to protect American citizens and interests in Iraq, should he choose to use them,” Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said, noting that the amphibious transport dock ship can conduct “a variety of quick reaction and crisis response operations”.
Overall, the warships are said to carry a large number of fighter jets and search-and-rescue aircraft, along with Tomahawk cruise missiles and other ordnance, giving President Obama a range of tactical options in case he decides on military action in Iraq.Obama notified Congress on Monday that up to 275 American troops were being sent to Iraq to provide support and security for US personnel and the American Embassy in Baghdad. About 170 of them have already arrived in Iraq.
The White House is additionally considering sending a small continent of about 100 special forces soldiers to Iraq, The Associated Press reported, citing unnamed US officials. Their mission would largely focus on training and advising the Iraqi troops who are battling the ISIS insurgents. There was no immediate official confirmation of the plan.
Obama held a meeting of his high-power national security team on Monday.“The President will continue to consult with his national security team in the days to come,” the White House said, without providing any further details.Secretary of State John Kerry, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, Attorney General Eric Holder, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan were among those present at the meeting.
Republicans are keeping up the pressure on Obama for swift action. Congressman Mike Rogers, who heads the House Intelligence Committee, called for immediate steps to launch airstrikes disrupt the ability of the insurgents to continue their operations.“All the ingredients are going into the stew. We see it happening on our watch,” he commented. Senator lindsey Graham felt the insurgents’ wave of success would embolden them to plot terror strikes against the US.
Some Democratic lawmakers, however, are opposing a fresh military involvement in Iraq. One of the strong critics of such a course is Tulsi Gabbard, the first-ever Hindu American lawmaker in the US Congress, who is against launching airstrikes as well.
“It makes no sense for us to consider going back there and getting involved in what truly is a religious civil war,” said Gabbard, a veteran of Iraq War who had served in field medical unit.In comments to CNN, Gabbard said: “You can’t train away the core issue here, which is you have a Sunni versus Shia battle going on. You have Sunni commanders literally saying Sunnis soldiers will be defecting because of their displeasure with the Shia-led Government.”
Former US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said that it being a sectarian struggle, the US involvement could be very tricky.
The US, however, needs to ramp up its diplomacy, Crocker told CBS News, adding: “Secretary Kerry in my view should be on a plane right now for Baghdad. We need to work with the Iraqis at the highest level — that would be Secretary Kerry backed by the President so that they can demonstrate the national unity — Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite that is going to be essential if there’s going to be any hope of turning back the ISIS threat.”