President Obama said in a televised interview that he could not take off the table the idea of sending more troops to Iraq, in addition to the 1,500 already slated to go there.
“You know, as commander-in-chief, I’m never going to say never,” Mr. Obama said on “Face the Nation” on CBS. “But what the commanders who presented the plan to me say is that we may actually see fewer troops over time because now we’re seeing coalition members starting to partner with us on the training and assist effort.”
His statements came on the heels of a Pentagon announcement to send in 1,500 U.S. troops to Iraq for the supposed non-combat role to train Iraqi forces — something that was blasted by at least one fellow Democrat, Rep. Charlie Rangel.
“The fact of the matter is that if more Americans were exposed to this type of danger, it would not happen — nobody would send troops,” Mr. Rangel said in denouncing Mr. Obama’s planned military action, the New York Daily News reported. “[ISIS] has not declared any formal war against the U.S.,” and is rather only a “threat to their neighbors.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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