Two 82nd Airborne Companies Deploying to Middle East

Religion in the U.S. military: Soldiers lower their head in Christian prayer.

DEVELOPING: Two companies out of Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, are deploying to the Middle East at the request of the top American commander in Baghdad. The deployment consists of approximately 200 soldiers from 82nd Airborne Division.

Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the top commander of the U.S.-led coalition in the war against ISIS on the ground, made the request and it was approved. The Pentagon said it will provide more details on the decision later Monday.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi said on Fox News Sunday that the Islamic State will be defeated “within weeks” in Iraq, though will continue to exist until it’s eradicated in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East.

He praised President Donald J. Trump’s leadership and slammed his predecessor Barack Obama, whom he said just wanted “to forget Iraq.”

“He just wanted just to forget Iraq,” the prime minister said. “I mean, slaughtering people. There was a lot of pressure on President Obama.”

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met at the State Department with Prime Minister al Abadi recently to discuss a new strategy to destroy ISIS.

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Richard D. Baris

Rich, the People's Pundit, is the Data Journalism Editor at PPD and Director of the PPD Election Projection Model. He is also the Director of Big Data Poll, and author of "Our Virtuous Republic: The Forgotten Clause in the American Social Contract."