I think we always have to guard against mission creep, so let me repeat what I’ve said in the past: American combat troops are not going to be fighting in Iraq again.
. . . Another 100 troops, who had been on standby in the Middle East since mid-June, also will move into Baghdad to provide security and logistics support.
That raises to about 470 the number of U.S. troops providing security in Baghdad.
Those forces are separate from the teams of up to 300 U.S. military advisers that Obama authorized for deployment to Iraq earlier in June. Of those 300, about 180 had arrived as of Monday, the Pentagon said. They are assessing the state of Iraqi security forces and coordinating with Iraqi authorities.
The U.S. also has a permanent group of about 100 military personnel in the Office of Security Cooperation, at the U.S. Embassy, to coordinate U.S. military sales.
That adds up to about 870 U.S. military personnel in Iraq.
How many times can the president send another couple hundred troops before it starts becoming “mission creep”?
UPDATE: Another thought — when President Obama declares, “American combat troops are not going to be fighting in Iraq again,” has ISIS gotten that memo? What happens if (when?) ISIS starts taking shots at our embassy or other Americans in the area?