More American boots on the ground may ultimately be needed to help the Iraqi army defeat Islamic State militants, according to the top U.S. general in Iraq.
But Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland said it's President Barack Obama who will have to decide.
"Yes, there is a good potential that we will need additional capabilities, additional forces to provide those capabilities," MacFarland said in a video teleconference from Iraq,
Military Times reports.
He added: "And we're looking at the right mix … in consultation with the government of Iraq and our other partners."
"We have shifted from a pure counterinsurgency focus and are now preparing the [Iraqi security forces] to conduct what we refer to as combined arms operations," he said. "Now, that doesn't necessarily equate to boots on the ground. It doesn't necessarily equate to American boots on the ground."
"The decision as to whether or not … something is on or off the table is not my decision. That's really, at the end of the day, that's my commander in chief's. So, you know, all of us in uniform are … preparing various options. The president will decide."
There are about 3,700 U.S. troops in Iraq who provide training for the Iraqi security forces and sometimes accompany them to forward positions to support Iraqi-led combat operations.
MacFarland conceded ISIS could "revert to some sort of insurgency."
"That's a possibility and we will ensure that the holding force that is in Iraq is sufficient … to deter or defeat those types of attacks or respond to them, should they occur," he said.
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