President Barack Obama recently told reporters that U.S. combat troops would not be entering Iraq again, according to The Associated Press. However, some officials say that servicemembers are needed in the area to provide countermeasures against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria forces.
More than a campaign promise
One of the reasons Obama has refused to place more troops on the ground in Iraq follows a campaign pledge he made to retract forces in the area, but there are also logistical issues with keeping armed forces in the country. According to Obama, the Iraqi government called for the departure of American forces because officials could not agree to grant U.S. forces legal immunity. This would have left troops subject to an Iraqi judicial process during their time in the country.
Instead of carrying out defensive measures using troops, Obama has focused on a series of targeted airstrikes on ISIS forces to protect American personnel in Iraq and Iraqi civilians on Mount Sinjar. Obama noted that IS advances on Irbil – a region in Iraq with a consulate holding American troops and diplomats – have been quicker than expected, but airstrikes have already destroyed ISIS arms and equipment.
Why others call for troops
While U.S. forces try to keep ISIS militants out of Irbil to protect American personnel, there is a second mission to protect 40,000 Iraqi Yazidis on Mount Sinjar from militant advances. Civilians trapped on the mountain have already received air drops of food and water, but some military officials suggest that ground forces are needed to protect the citizens, according to Military Times.
While airdropped resources help Yazidi civilians survive on Mount Sinjar, there are concerns about getting the civilians off the mountain, which has been surrounded by ISIS forces.
"You're talking about a 10,000- to 15,000-soldier effort to include maintenance, and medevac and security," retired Army Col. Peter Mansoor, told Military Times."But that is the price you're going to pay if you want to roll back [Islamic State]. You can't just snap your fingers and make it go away,"
Monsoor suggested that security forces would be needed to lead Yazidis through ISIS territory to safety. Without boots on the ground, the only other option may include massive helicopter airlifts of Iraqi civilians from Mount Sinjar if further airstrikes do not effectively hold militants back.
Effective airstrikes
However, retired Air Force Col. Mark Gunzinger, told Military Times that airstrikes may be very effective in Iraq because the U.S. has enough drones to keep a near constant presence overhead, and ISIS militants may not have anti-aircraft equipment capable of defending against coordinated airstrikes.
Some specifics regarding airstrikes have still not yet been explained by authorities. While some suggest airstrikes may only be used for defensive purposes around Irbil and Mount Sinjar, there is the possibility that a bigger effort may be coordinated.
"There is still some question about whether this is going to be a major air campaign to defeat [ISIS] or whether it is going to be more along the lines of strikes and raids to deny them access and prevent them from making further advances. I'm not sure," Gunzinger told Military Times.