The U.S. is considering offering a range of backing for the offensive, such as air support, intelligence and logistics, the official said. The military also has not ruled out deploying a small number of U.S. troops on the ground to find targets and call in airstrikes.

While U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged U.S. forces will not become embroiled in ground combat in Iraq, he asked Congress this month to approve an authorization for use of military force he said would permit ground missions. These include serving as spotters for strikes, using special operations forces to target ISIS leaders, collecting intelligence and conducting rescue operations.

The U.S. and allies have established five sites in the region to train Iraqi forces. About 3,200 forces are now in training and almost 2,000 have been graduated

Washington (CNN)New allegations have emerged from the man described as the 20th 9/11 hijacker, alleging members of the Saudi royal family supported al Qaeda.

Zacarias Moussaoui, who pleaded guilty in 2005 to six terror-related charges, makes the allegations in a sworn statement contained in a brief submitted Tuesday as part of an ongoing civil case by the families of 9/11 victims.

In the late 1990s, Moussaoui says, he was tasked by Osama bin Laden to create a digital database cataloging al Qaeda's donors. Every day for two or three months, he says, he entered names of the group's donors into a Toshiba computer, along with how much they gave.



Moussaoui, who has been in U.S. custody for more than 13 years, said the list featured high-profile people, including several members of the Saudi Royal family, whom he named in his testimony.