Washington: The United States may deploy 100 special forces troops to advise the Iraqi army in its defense of Baghdad from Sunni extremists but not initially to call in airstrikes, US defense officials said Thursday.
President Barack Obama is "leaning" toward a limited course of action that would "embed" the commandos with Iraqi forces, one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
A second US official said the 100 troops would be capable of calling in air strikes if the administration later ordered that step.
It was unclear how the White House would explain sending troops to advise the Iraqi army as Obama has vowed not to approve "boots on the ground" in Iraq - three years after a large American force withdrew.
President Barack Obama is "leaning" toward a limited course of action that would "embed" the commandos with Iraqi forces, one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
A second US official said the 100 troops would be capable of calling in air strikes if the administration later ordered that step.
It was unclear how the White House would explain sending troops to advise the Iraqi army as Obama has vowed not to approve "boots on the ground" in Iraq - three years after a large American force withdrew.
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