Carter: 560 American Soldiers to be Deployed to Iraq's Qayyarah Airbase

Ashton Carter, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, announced during his unannounced visit to Iraq on Monday, July 21, that 560 American troops will be deployed to assist in the reconstruction of Qayyarah Airbase, which has recently come under the control of the Iraqi army and is being equipped as a key operations center for the recapture of Mosul. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Carter stated that the primary responsibility of these troops will be to rebuild and equip Qayyarah Airbase, located 65 kilometers south of Mosul, which includes engineering and support personnel. He noted that these American units will assist Iraqi forces in the siege and recapture operations of Mosul. The U.S. Secretary of Defense said in his statement, 'These additional forces will add special capabilities to the Mosul operation and will provide significant assistance to the Iraqi army at critical moments in the battle.' With this deployment, the total number of American forces currently stationed in Iraq will reach approximately 4,650. Three months ago, the U.S. government had also sent several hundred additional troops to Iraq. The Secretary of Defense told reporters that these units would accompany Iraqi forces as advisors during the Mosul operations if necessary. It is still unclear when the deployed American forces will be stationed in the area. Officials stated that a unit of American soldiers visited Qayyarah Airbase on Sunday for assessment. One potential mission for these units could be to assist the Iraqi army in utilizing advanced technologies to cross rivers and approach the city of Mosul. The U.S. Secretary of Defense described the recapture of Qayyarah Airbase in recent days as a strategic victory. Before arriving in Baghdad, he told reporters, 'This base will become one of the important centers for the Iraqi army's operations with U.S. assistance in the siege of Mosul from the south. This is the important role and strategic value of this base.' The Iraqi army regained this base from the fighters of the Islamic State group on Saturday. Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, described it as an important step towards liberating Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq. He stated, 'The residents of Mosul must prepare for the liberation of this city.' American officials say that their forces are cooperating with the special forces of the Iraqi army at the brigade command level, but have not yet participated in operations with them at this stage. Barack Obama allowed U.S. forces to cooperate with Iraqi forces at the brigade and battalion levels in April, which means they will be at greater risk during operations. However, they will still not go to the front lines. Previously, their mission was limited to providing advisory support at the division command level, which is generally further from the front lines. Ashton Carter also met and discussed with Haider al-Abadi during his visit to Baghdad. He is scheduled to discuss with Khaled al-Obeidi, the Iraqi Minister of Defense, and Sean MacFarland, the commander of U.S. forces in the country. The U.S. Secretary of Defense stated that the main topic of discussions will be the next steps in the military campaign, particularly regarding the city of Mosul. General MacFarland also stated in a press conference that the transfer of new troops will take place soon, and orders for their transfer have been issued. The Islamic State group captured the city of Mosul in the summer of 2014 and has since used it as its main headquarters. A few days ago, at a NATO summit, the alliance announced its military support for the fight against this group. In recent months, Iraqi army forces have regained not only Qayyarah Airbase but also the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in western Baghdad and several small towns along the route from Baghdad to Mosul.