US likely to send teams of commandos to Iraq to bolster security force; A few are there now

WASHINGTON – A U.S. official says the Obama administration is poised to announce it will send about 100 Army special forces members, divided into teams of about a dozen each, to advise and assist the Iraq forces.

There are already a handful of the special forces in Iraq that have been there as part of the Office of Security Cooperation in Baghdad. They would likely be the first to be sent out as part of this plan, said the official who was not authorized to speak publicly and thus talked on condition of anonymity. The other Green Berets would be brought in from around the region.

The commandos would not be fighting in direct combat, but could provide intelligence and greater insight into what the Iraqi units need.

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