AKIPRESS.COM - President Obama said today he is prepared to send up to 300 U.S. military advisers to Iraq to assist in training and advising Iraqi forces as the tense situation in the country continues to escalate, the U.S. media report June 20.

In a statement in the White House briefing room, Obama said the U.S. is prepared to create joint operation centers between the U.S. and Iraq in Baghdad and northern Iraq, the AP said.

The president also said the U.S. is taking steps so that it's "prepared to take targeted and precise military action if and when we determine the situation on the ground requires it." The president said he would consult closely with Congress and leaders in Iraq before any decision is made.

The first troops will arrive in Iraq “very soon” – they will come from forces already stationed in the Middle East.

The troops will be divided into teams of a dozen each. The first teams will be sent to Baghdad and the surrounding areas, but ultimately will be stationed in northern Iraq as well. They will be embedded with the Iraqi military at senior levels – at first at the headquarter level, eventually at the brigade level. Others will be at new Joint Operation Centers with US and Iraqi troops.

Not all 300 go right away. “Several” teams of one dozen trainers will go first, officials said.

Their initial assignment will be to assess the capabilities and needs of the Iraqi forces. They will also add to the intelligence gathering capabilities. These troops would not be used to identify targets for possible future air strikes – but the officials did not rule out the possibility that they could help the Iraqis identify targets for air strikes.

Intelligence gathering has been significantly ramped up – between manned and unmanned aircraft, they now have the capability to have 24 hour surveillance coverage.

These troops will be covered by an immunity agreement of some kind – as are the handful of trainers already in Iraq.

Obama also said Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the Middle East and Europe where he will talk about the situation in Iraq.