U.S. forces 'building pressure' on Islamic State - military chief

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey listens to a question during the House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, November 13, 2014. REUTERS/Larry Downing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. efforts against Islamic State militants in Iraq are "a drumbeat, a steady building pressure" on several fronts that will ultimately enable Iraqi forces to launch a counteroffensive at a time of their choosing, the top U.S. military officer said on Thursday.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. forces were not sitting idly in the key Iraqi cities of Baghdad or Arbil waiting until spring to launch an offensive but were actively working to weaken Islamic State in several areas.