Hundreds of New US Troops to Iraq a "Possibility" by Barbara Starr, CNN

The Obama administration is "not ruling out the possibility" of sending hundreds of additional troops to Iraq this fall to help train, advise and assist Iraqi forces as they get ready for a potential assault on Mosul, according to a senior U.S. official.

And while officials won't publicly confirm it, there have been several meetings to begin to determine if more troops are needed for the upcoming battle for Iraq's second-largest city and what those troops might do to affect the battle.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, by all accounts has not yet asked for more troops, several U.S. officials told CNN.

"He engaged with dialogue up through his chain of command where he thinks there might be an area where we might require an increase in capability, and I use that word 'capability' because it can be a rash of forms," said British Army Maj. Gen. Doug Chalmers, deputy commander for strategy in the U.S.-led coalition, in a news briefing for Pentagon reporters.

Chalmers noted additional troops, if sent, could deal with air support, reconnaissance and surveillance as well as training, advising and assisting Iraqi forces. The issue of troop levels is one that is constantly being reviewed by the military, but these latest discussions center on what, if anything, is needed to support an Iraqi assault on Mosul…