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Obama Sending 350 More Troops to Iraq

President Obama has authorized another 350 U.S. military personnel to be sent to Iraq, the White House announced on Tuesday evening.
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President Obama has authorized another 350 U.S. military personnel to be sent to Iraq, the White House announced on Tuesday evening.

The troops are being sent to "protect our diplomatic facilities and personnel in Baghdad, Iraq," according the White House statement.

The decision was made at the recommendation of the Department of Defense "after an extensive interagency review," it said, noting that the additional forces "will not serve in a combat role."

“This builds upon previous embassy security deployments announced on June 15 and June 30 and will bring the total forces responsible for augmenting diplomatic security in Iraq up to approximately 820,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby.

Military officials previously told NBC News that the early planning suggested that about 150 of the new troops would be Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is aboard the USS Bataan in the Persian Gulf.

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