This is the cbs evening news with scott pelley. Alfonsi good evening. Scott is on assignment for 60 minutes. Im sharyn alfonsi. U. S. Military forces are going back to iraq two and a half years after president obama pulled the last troops out, he announced today hes sending as many as 300 special forces back in. The president said the u. S. Will be prepared for what he called targeted military strikes, but he vowed u. S. Troops are not going back into combat. The president said he is taking these actions in the interest of Americas National security. We have a series of reports tonight, including our team in iraq, but first, Major Garrett at the white house. Reporter president obama described the special forces mission as limited, gain intelligence on the sunni insurgents and advise Iraqi Security forces defending baghdad. I think we always have to guard against mission creep. So let me repeat what ive said in the past american combat troops are not going to be fighting in iraq again.
Reporter the prospect of u. S. Airstrikes remains real but will not be limited to iraq. Sharyn, senior Officials Say if u. S. Interests are threatened, u. S. Military actions could target the same sunni insurgents now operating in nerighboring syria. Alfonsi cbs news correspondent Clarissa Ward is in baghdad tonight. Clarissa, the president seemed to raise the question whether Prime Minister maliki can solve this crisis or not. What do people think there . Reporter well, sharyn, obviously, it depends who you talk to, but it has been striking to see a lot of top shiite politicians coming out of the woodwork and saying that maliki must go, that his policies are too sectarian, too divisive, that he has alienated the sunni people and pushed their leaders out of the government. There is a general consensus here in iraq that this country should remain unified, but really that can only happen if they can create a National Unity government, and, frankly, a lot of people here have some doubts a
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