CRI听力:US will Not Fight Ground War in Iraq: Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama has vowed America will not fight another ground war in Iraq.

The comment comes a day after a top US military officer said ground forces could be deployed if the current strategy to fight against the Islamic State fails.

While addressing soldiers at MacDill Air Force Base, Obama stressed that US forces will not have a combat mission in Iraq.

"But I want to be clear, the American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission. They will support Iraqi forces on the ground as they fight for their own country against these terrorists. As your commander in chief, I will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq."

Obama says airstrikes will be the central U.S contribution to the fight against IS.

Earlier, Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi strongly rejected the idea of the US or other nations sending ground forces to his country to help fight IS.

"The only contribution that the American forces or the international coalition is going to help us with is from the sky. And I have to make this very clear. We are not giving any blank check to the international coalition to hit any target in Iraq."

Al-Abadi also urged the international community to go after the group in neighboring Syria.

The US House of Representatives has just approved Obama's plan to train and equip Syrian rebels to fight IS militants.

The bill gives the president the authority to offer more support for vetted rebel groups to fight the Syrian government as well as IS.

The US Senate still has to approve the measure.

A vote is expected this week.

The U.S. has launched over 160 airstrikes against IS targets in Iraq and Obama has authorized similar attacks against the group's strongholds in Syria.

Syria has said any action inside the country should first obtain approval from Damascus.