Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel welcomes Qatari Defense Minister Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah, right, to the Pentagon, Monday, July 14, 2014, during an honor cordon. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) (The Associated Press)
WASHINGTON – Pentagon leaders are now reviewing the military's initial assessment of Iraq's security forces and it may be some time before decisions are made about what additional assistance the U.S. should provide as the Baghdad government battles Sunni insurgents.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, has read the completed assessment. A Pentagon spokesman said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel received it but hadn't reviewed it yet.
Defense officials declined to detail the report. Dempsey has said the updates he's received describe a logistically challenged Iraqi force that would have a hard time going on the offensive against the Islamic State extremist group.
The Pentagon spokesman said there is a sense of urgency about the situation in Iraq but it's important to get the decision right.
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