WASHINGTON – President Obama told US troops Wednesday he would not commit them fight in another ground war in Iraq – but then hours later the White House said Obama would consider requests to “forward deploy” troops as advisers to Iraqi forces.
“I want to be clear. The American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission,” Obama said in a speech at US Central Command in Tampa.
“As your commander in chief I will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq,” Obama promised the troops.
He said US forces – more than 1,000 of whom are already deployed to Iraq — “will support Iraqi forces on the ground as they fight for their own country against these terrorists.”
Obama explained that after a decade of “massive” ground deployments, “It is more effective to use our unique capability in support of partners on the ground so they can secure their own countries’ futures.”
But flying back to DC on Air Force One, White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Obama would consider recommendations to insert US forces as front-line advisers.
He said he would consider requests to “forward deploy” them on a “case-by-case basis” if needed.
“They would not be personally or directly engaging the enemy,” Earnest said.
On Tuesday, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared to open the door to such missions.
“If we reach the point where I believe our advisers should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets, I’ll recommend that to the president,” Dempsey said.
Earlier Wednesday, Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates – who served Obama and George W. Bush – said the war against ISIS can’t be won without ground troops.
“The reality is, they’re not going to be able to be successful against ISIS strictly from the air…So, there will be boots on the ground if there’s to be any hope of success in the strategy,” Gates said on “CBS This Morning.”
That was at odds with what he said in February at West Point, when he maintained that any defense secretary who recommends a big land army in the Middle East should “have his head examined.”