More mission creep. The fact is the Islamic State is an 80K strong army and are deeply entrenched in Iraq and Syria, a token U.S. force and airstrikes will not dislodge them.

Via The Hill:

U.S. officials say military planners are weighing the possibility of sending more U.S. troops into Iraq to provide additional security around Baghdad, according to The Associated Press.

A senior U.S. official said the number of troops currently under discussion is less than 300, but there has been no final decision.

The discussion comes after Sunni militant group the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) beheaded American journalist James Foley. ISIS released video of the killing on Tuesday and threatened to kill another U.S. journalist held captive if the U.S. did not stop airstrikes in Iraq.

U.S. fighter jets and drones, however, continued their airstrikes in Iraq, conducting nearly a dozen strikes within hours after the video surfaced online.