Top U.S. general arrives in Baghdad to 'get a sense' of ISIS operations

General Martin Dempsey arrived in Iraq on Saturday, his first trip there since President Barack Obama approved U.S. troop deployments to the region, Reuters reports.

"I want to get a sense from our side about how our contribution is going," Dempsey told Reuters, referring to the U.S. military operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. "I want to hear from those actually doing the lifting that they've the resources they need and the proper guidance to use those resources."

Dempsey planned to meet with both U.S. and Iraqi officials on the ground. In addition to air strikes, U.S. forces are carrying out training for Iraqi troops. Obama authorized sending up to 1,500 more U.S. troops to the region, in addition to the roughly 1,500 that are already deployed.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up