The U.S. is not returning combat troops to Iraq, President Barack Obama insisted again Wednesday, despite the suggestion by his top general that option is something the Pentagon could consider. Speaking at U.S. Central Command in Florida, Obama said again that U.S. troops "do not and will not have a combat mission" in Iraq against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. "After a decade of massive ground deployments, it is more effective to use our unique capabilities in support of partners on the ground so they can secure their own countries' futures," he said. "And that's the only solution that will succeed over the long term."
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House approves Obama's request to train and arm Syrian rebels to fight ISIS
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Kerry tells Senate committee that no countries have agreed to put boots on the ground
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Report: Iraq's PM  says foreign troops are "put of the question"
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President: It's more effective for the United States to support partners on the ground
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Obama's position was reiterated by @placeholder Secretary of State John Kerry, who testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the administration's plan to defeat ISIS, the terror group that refers to itself as the Islamic State.
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The @placeholder vote on the proposal could come as early as Thursday.
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The crossed wires come after a concerted White House effort to spell out a plan against ISIS terrorists, which itself was a response to the President's frank admission late last month that he lacked a "strategy" for dealing with ISIS in @placeholder.