Obama orders 200 more US troops to Iraq

President Obama notified Congress Monday that he is sending up to 200 more U.S. troops to Iraq to provide additional security to the U.S. Embassy, its support facilities, and the Baghdad International Airport.

'This force is deploying for the purpose of protecting U.S. citizens and property, if necessary, and is equipped for combat. This force will remain in Iraq until the security situation becomes such that it is no longer needed,' the President wrote in his letter to Congress.

The additional personnel arrived in Iraq Sunday and Monday and have brought helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby. He said there are also approximately 100 personnel prepositioned in the Central Command region moving to Baghdad to provide security and logistics support.

The president announced earlier this month that he was sending up to 300 military advisors to assist Iraq security forces in combating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in a non-combat role. So far, 180 of those personnel have arrived in Iraq to help increase intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets for the U.S.

Prior to that, he dispatched 275 military personnel to provide support and security to Americans at the U.S. embassy.

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