(VOVworld) - American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission, US President Barack Obama said during a speech at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida on Wednesday, a day after General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, left the door slightly ajar to the possibility of some ground forces being sent to Iraq. President Obama said the US will provide equipment and training programs to enable Iraqi forces to do what they must do: When we do things alone and the countries, the people of those countries are not doing for themselves, as soon as we leave, we start having the same problems"
The House voted 273-to-156 to authorize Obama’s plan, which equips and trains the Syrian moderate opposition to combat the Islamic State group.