Carter told the House Armed Services Committee that over time, these special operators will be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture Islamic State leaders.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said late on Tuesday that Iraq has sufficient forces to fight IS, after American senators called for more USA troops to be deployed to the country.
Hof, who is now at the Atlantic Council think-tank, said the USA special forces were filling a gap in capable ground forces to fight Islamic State, which won control of Iraq’s Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi in May and also controls the northern of Mosul.
About 3,500 USA troops are now advising and assisting Iraqi forces. And it puts everybody on notice in Syria.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s office issued a statement saying it welcomed foreign assistance but Iraq’s government would need to approve any deployment of special operations forces anywhere in Iraq – a point Carter also acknowledged.
Carter did not offer troop numbers amid a growing call from some Republicans for more US boots on the ground and a divide among war-weary Americans about the prospect of greater military involvement.
US President Barack Obama had recently authorised 50 Special Force troops to be deployed to Syria, assuring that they will work mainly alongside rebels on that side of the border.
As part of the counterterrorism strategy, USA coalition forces have destroyed fixed facilities, including wells and processing facilities, and almost 400 ISIL oil tanker trucks in terrorist group-dominated areas in Iraq and Syria. “You don’t know at night who is going to be coming in the window”, Carter said. He said the number in the expeditionary force will be “larger” than 50 but would not be more specific and didn’t say exactly where they would be based.
This will enable the forces to target ISIL infrastructure and revenue sources, as well as improve ways to find and eliminate ISIL leadership. He said the new force would conduct operations similar to two from earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members stand ready to step up military efforts against the Islamic State and held out hope of broadening cooperation between the West and Russian Federation to end Syria’s protracted civil war.
Carter, who testified alongside Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, updated lawmakers about US actions in Iraq and Syria and the goal of helping local forces take the fight to IS.
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“If all we have is Western aggression, we will never win”, he said.
