WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Department of Defense plans to recommend to President Barack Obama that the United States give more support to Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to retake the city of Mosul, US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford said during a press conference on Friday.
"We have a series of recommendations that we will be discussing with the president in the coming weeks to further enable our support for the Iraqi security forces," Dunford stated when asked if the Defense Department anticipates more US ground forces closer to the Mosul battlefield.
Dunford noted that he and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter believed that "there will be an increase to the US forces in Iraq in the coming weeks," but explained that any such decision "hasn’t been made."
"The primary force fighting in Mosul will be Iraqi Security Forces and we'll be in a position to provide advice, assist and enabling capabilities to make them successful," Dunford stated.
Dunford noted that he and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter would recommend to President Barack Obama that the Department of Defense should provide the ISF more support to further enable their fighting capabilities.