The US military's top officer today raised the possibility that American troops serving as advisers to Iraqi forces could eventually be sent on combat missions against Islamic State extremists.
"To be clear, if we reach the point where I believe our advisors should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL (IS group) targets, I will recommend that to the president," General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Dempsey's remarks contrasted with President Barack Obama's repeated statements ruling out sending in combat forces to battle the IS group, promising there would be no "boots on the ground."
Nearly 300 US military advisers are currently working with Iraqi government forces in their fight against the extremist IS group with roughly another 300 advisers due to deploy in coming days.
Asked to elaborate on his remarks, Dempsey said the advisers are "very much in a combat advisory role" and that there is "no intention" at the moment for them to enter into combat.
"I don't see it to be necessary right now," the four-star general said.
But he said if circumstances changed, and if there were an "extraordinarily complex" operation planned by Iraqi forces, then it could be necessary "to provide close combat advising" with advisers heading to the front with their Iraqi counterparts.
He cited as an example if Iraqi government forces were planning to take back control of a city such as Mosul.
Obama's strategy to fight the IS organisation calls for American air power coupled with training and arming Iraqi government troops and Syrian rebel forces.
