US President Barack Obama has repeated his promise not to drag US troops into a new ground war in Iraq.<br /><br />Speaking at a military base in Florida on Wednesday, he confirmed that US soldiers deployed to Iraq will only support Iraqi forces.<br /><br />“We will use our air power. We will train and equip our partners. We will advise them and we will assist them. We will lead a broad coalition of countries who have a stake in this fight, because this is not simply America versus ISIL. This is the people of the region against ISIL, rejecting the brutality of ISIL,” Obama said.<br /><br />Obama’s message came a day after US General Martin Dempsey said sending US troops on the ground could be a possibility if air strikes failed.<br /><br />More than 1,600 US “advisers” have been sent to help Iraqi forces. The US has launched more than 160 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in several areas in Iraq.<br /><br />Obama has also authorized similar attacks in Syria – something Syrian President Bashar al Assad said would be viewed as an “act of agression”.
