President Obama authorized the sending of an additional 1,500 US troops to Iraq, raising the number of US troops in country to almost 3,000. American trainers will be deployed across Iraq. He also plans to ask Congress for $5 billion for military operations against the Islamic State. Taliban commander Irek Hamidullin, the first Afghan detainee brought to the US for trial, pled not guilty to terrorism charges and will remain in custody until his trial in April. The FBI is conducting a counterintelligence investigation of veteran US diplomat and Pakistan expert Robin Raphael, who has been placed on administrative leave and had her security clearances withdrawn; no charges have been filed.
