The US military is spending $1 billion to help Iraqi forces retake Mosul from the Islamic State group, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
The US has been working to set up a permanent force of 100,000 soldiers and a permanent airbase for its special forces.
US troops have been helping to train Iraqi forces since January, as well as providing logistical support and intelligence.
The troops were part of a US-led coalition, but some were sent to fight in the Syrian civil war.
In an interview with ABC News, Army Lt Gen Mark Welsh said the US military was not looking to use the money to build a military base, as some lawmakers had suggested.
He said it would only be used for a temporary period of time.
“We don’t want to be spending it on a permanent base,” he said.
“It’s not a permanent thing, and we’re not going to be building a permanent army, a permanent military base.”
US troops in Iraq have been assisting in the recapture of Mosul, the Iraqi capital.
They have already taken back the eastern half of the city, while the western half has been recaptured.
It was the second city in the city to fall to IS.
Iraqi forces are also trying to retake the rest of the western city of Kirkuk.
The operation to retake Mosul, which was started in December, has seen US troops kill more than 100 IS fighters and secure about a third of the Iraqi city.
