1,000 U.S. Marines headed to Persian Gulf - Armed drones now flying over Iraq, DOD confirms

Via CNN 6/27/14

More Americans are heading to the Persian Gulf.

CNN's Barbara Starr reports the USS Bataan is headed to the region with 1,000 marines on board.

A U.S. official also confirms that armed American drones are now flying over Baghdad.

Is this mission creep?

OutFront, CNN military analyst Lt. Colonel Rick Francona and retired U.S. Army Colonel Doug Macgregor who was a tank commander in the first Gulf War.

Via Politico 6/27/14

Some of the manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft operating over Iraq are now armed, the Defense Department confirmed Friday, to provide protection to the American troops deploying there.

Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said the number of surveillance flights over Iraq has remained steady at around 30 to 35 per day, but he acknowledged some have begun carrying air-to-surface weapons.

See below for full articles.

http://outfront.blogs.cnn.com/2014/06/27/1000-u-s-marines-headed-to-persian-gulf/

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/iraq-armed-drones-pentagon-108394.html