It's being called "a belated step forward."

The new Special Operations group headed to Iraq will conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and go after top Islamic State targets.

"When they go to bed at night, who is going to be coming in the window? The United States is and, I think, must lead in this fight, but we need others to go with us," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.

Carter says U.S. forces will more than likely be mixed with Kurdish fighters who are already battling ISIS. He didn't disclose the number of U.S. troops to be deployed.

"Throughout [our] own action and those of our coalition partners, the military campaign will destroy ISIL's leadership and forces, deprive it of resources and safe haven and mobility," Carter said. "All the while we seek to identify and then enable motivated local forces on the ground to expel ISIL from its territory, hold and govern it, and ensure that victory sticks."

The move comes as the nation's top military officer directly contradicts remarks made by President Barack Obama last month that the U.S. has contained ISIS.

"Let me ask you this: have we currently contained ISIL? We have not contained ISIL. Have they been contained anytime since 2010? Tactically in areas they have been; strategically they have spread since 2010," he said.

And while ISIS is gaining territory in the Middle East, it's also gaining support internationally, including right here in America.

A new study by George Washington University says several thousand Americans regularly "consume Islamic State propaganda."

American ISIS supporters are predominantly active online. Twitter is the platform of choice, but ISIS supporters are using other social media as well just another sign of the growing danger from this radical Islamist movement.

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