An American special operator was killed during a hostage rescue mission in Iraq yesterday, but the Pentagon insists the US role was purely "support" for the operation. Apparently, the president is paranoid about admitting any combat role for US troops in Iraq, given he declared combat operations over years ago. Washington Examiner: On Thursday, U.S. commandos participated in an operation in Hawija, Iraq, to save about 70 Iraqi hostages, 22 of whom were Iraqi Security Force fighters. In the joint raid with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, one U.S. service member died from a gunshot wound after being transported to Irbil for medical treatment. This represents the first U.S. combat death in the fight against the Islamic State. The administration has been clear that the U.S. mission in Iraq is purely to train and advise Iraqi forces. President Obama has said repeatedly that U.S. forces in Iraq are not in combat. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook stressed...(Read Full Post)