Crisis in Iraq
U.S. training Iraqi forces faster than planned
On Sunday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that U.S. special operations troops will start training and advising Iraqi forces fighting ISIS militants sooner than expected.
The rush was recommended by Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command. Hagel's spokesman, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, said that Austin thinks this move will cause other countries to send their own trainers to Iraq to work with the troops.
Forces in Iraq's Anbar province began receiving training and advising several days ago. The United States is expected to train nine Iraqi security forces brigades and three Kurdish Peshmerga brigades, The Associated Press reports.