A Look At The Growing U.S. Military Involvement In Iraq

New York Times: Marine’s Death in a Secret Iraqi Base Reflects a Quietly Expanding U.S. Role

WASHINGTON — On a Saturday morning three weeks ago, American radar detected rockets headed for a secret fire base of about 100 Marines in northern Iraq.

As warning sirens blared, a 27-year-old staff sergeant on his fifth combat tour rushed the Marines under his command to a bunker.

One rocket missed the Marines, but another exploded near the staff sergeant, Louis F. Cardin, while he was still outside. He was seriously wounded in the chest and died within the hour.

Less than 12 hours later, a Marine arrived at the home of Sergeant Cardin’s parents in Temecula, Calif., to inform them that their son had been killed.

It was the second time that an American service member had been killed in Iraq since President Obama resumed military operations there nearly two years ago.

Read more ....

The Growing U.S. Military Involvement In Iraq

U.S. leads 13 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq, Syria: statement -- Reuters
B-52s joining fight against ISIS -- CNN
US deploying B-52s to Middle East for first time in 25 years -- RUDAW
U.S. troops preparing Iraqi forces for 'much, much harder' fight in Mosul -- Army Times
Carter: Iraq politics won't stall beefed up military fight -- AP
US urges ‘unified, federal and democratic Iraq’ -- Al Arabiya
Kerry: No more US troops heading to Iraq 'at this point' -- The Hill
Kerry in Iraq: Time to ‘Turn Up Pressure' on Islamic State Extremists -- VOA
Obama to ask Gulf nations to help finance Iraq’s rebuilding. -- VOA
Obama Hides His Iraq War -- William McGurn, WSJ
Is the U.S. doing enough to help Iraq fight ISIS? -- Arwa Damon and Hamdi Alkhshali, CNN