Iraq: We Didn't Ask for U.S. Ground Operations

Iraq's government said Wednesday it didn't ask for — and doesn't need — the "direct action on the ground" promised by the Pentagon, NBC News reported. 

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the U.S. may carry out more unilateral ground raids — like last week's rescue operation to free hostages — in Iraq to target ISIS militants.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's spokesman told NBC News that any military action must be cleared through the Iraqi government first. 

"This is an Iraqi affair and the government did not ask the U.S. Department of Defense to be involved in direct operations," spokesman Sa'ad al-Hadithi told NBC News. "We have enough soldiers on the ground."

He acknowledged the importance of U.S. assistance in Iraq, saying that his country needs American help arming and training Iraqi forced. 

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