WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Tuesday ordered about 350 more US troops to Baghdad to safeguard American diplomats in the Iraqi capital, increasing the US military presence to more than 1,000 forces.
The move comes after a request last month from the State Department for additional US troops to bolster security for the US embassy and other facilities in Iraq, where Islamic State (IS) extremists have seized territory in the north and west of the country.
White House and Pentagon officials issued the announcement hours after the IS militants released another grisly video showing a masked militant with a British accent cutting the throat of an American captive.
"The president authorized the Department of Defence to fulfil a Department of State request for approximately 350 additional US military personnel to protect our diplomatic facilities and personnel in Baghdad, Iraq," the White House said in a statement.
The United States will "continue to support the government of Iraq's efforts to counter ISIL, which poses a threat not only to Iraq, but to the broader Middle East and US personnel and interests in the region," it said.
Obama, on his way to Estonia and a Nato summit in Wales, said Washington "will be consulting this week with Nato allies regarding additional actions to take against ISIL and to develop a broad-based international coalition to implement a comprehensive strategy to protect our people and to support our partners in the fight against ISIL."
The latest troop deployment brings the number of forces devoted to security for US diplomats in Iraq to 820, the Pentagon said. An additional 300 troops are serving as "advisors" to Iraqi security forces, for a total footprint of more than 1,000 troops.
Under the president's decision, about 400 troops will head to Baghdad and about 55 forces that have been on the ground will rotate out of the country, officials said.
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