Islamic State Fight Stymied Until Congress Votes, Pentagon Says
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The U.S. can’t deploy as many as 1,500 additional personnel to train, equip and assist Iraqi and Kurdish forces unless Congress approves $1.6 billion in added war funding, the Pentagon comptroller said.
“We can’t get started in any meaningful way on these train-and-equip programs without new funding and authority,” Michael McCord said yesterday in an interview. The $1.6 billion is “the most time-sensitive” part of a $5.6 billion request that President Barack Obama made last week to fight Islamic State extremists, McCord said.