President Obama has authorised the deployment of 350 additional US military personnel to secure the safety of diplomats in Iraq, the White House

President Obama has approved an extra 350 troops to protect the US Embassy in Baghdad to safeguard American diplomats.

The additional personnel now take the US military presence in Iraqi to more than 1,000, with 800 of them based in the capital.

White House officials said Mr had Obama approved the decision, adding that the troops, from the Army and Marines, will not serve in a combat role.

The move comes after a request last month from the state department for additional US troops to bolster security for the US embassy and other facilities in Iraq

“The president authorised the department of defence to fulfil a department of state request for approximately 350 additional US military personnel to protect our diplomatic facilities and personnel in