Washington has announced it will deploy around 200 additional troops to the Middle Eastern country, placing them closer to the front lines of battle to advise Iraqi forces fighting the death-crazed terrorist cult – also known as ISIS.
The Pentagon announced the move as Iraqi troops advance towards Mosul – the largest Iraqi city still under ISIS control.
Barack Obama said: “As we see the Iraqis willing to fight and gaining ground, let's make sure that we are providing them more support.
"My expectation is that by the end of the year, we will have created the conditions whereby Mosul will eventually fall.”
The president also authorised the use of Apache attack helicopters to help provide air support to Iraqi forces battling the blood-thirsty fanatics.
The change will allow US troops to to offer faster advice to Iraqi troops as they mount their assault to retake Mosul from entrenched ISIS militants.
But the move could also leave the US servicemen more vulnerable to enemy mortars and artillery.
US defence secretary Ash Carter said: “This will put Americans closer to the action.”
"Their whole purpose is to be able to help those forces respond in a more agile way."
The increase raises America’s troop level in Iraq to 4,087, not including special operations personnel, some logistics workers and troops on temporary rotations.
The Pentagon will also provide up to a staggering $415million to Kurdish peshmerga forces, who have played a vital role in pushing back ISIS in northern Iraq.
Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland said part of the funding will likely be spent on basics like food.
He said: “Right now the peshmerga are not getting enough calories to keep them in the field, Express reported.
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