US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced Tuesday that the US would send more Special Operations troops to Iraq to fight Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) both in Iraq and in Syria.
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At the time, Carter openly acknowledged that the ground forces had been involved in combat operations and there would be more such raids.
Jafaar Hussaini, a spokesman for Kata’ib Hezbollah, one of the main Shi’ite militant groups, said that any such us force would become a “primary target for our group”.
Carter said the force would “also be in a position to conduct unilateral operations into Syria”.
The strength of the expeditionary targeting force was expected to be about 200 personnel, with about 100 coming from a new deployment that will add to the estimated 3,550 USA troops now in Iraq.
Turkey and the Usa hope that by crossing Islamic State from that edge zone it can be deprived by them of a smuggling route which has found its ranks swell with foreign fighters and its coffers boosted by illicit commerce. “And that’s the sensation that we want all of ISIL’s leadership and followers to have”. In May, U.S. Delta Force commandos captured a woman named Umm Sayyaf, wife of senior ISIS operative Abu Sayyaf.
But U.S. officials say the claims are bogus.
Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the chairman of the committee, said the USA military effort must be bolstered and directed by the military and not “White House aides micromanaging” military operations.
Some members of Congress, as well as defense officials who spoke privately to U.S. News, expressed surprise at the suddenness of the announcement and lack of any prior notice that Carter would publicly unveil it on Monday.
“It’s not war in a technical sense, but this is serious business”, he said.
The move comes as the nation’s top military officer directly contradicts remarks made by President Barack Obama last month that the USA has contained ISIS.
However, U.S. officials stressed that the new Special Ops force will deploy at Iraq’s invitation and partner with the Iraqi Security Forces when it acts in Iraq.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who led the charge against extension airstrikes to Syria, told MPs during yesterday’s day-long debate on airstrikes that “the logic of an extended air campaign is, in fact, towards mission creep and western boots on the ground”.
“ISIL will not pose an existential threat to us”.
Warren insisted that “we’re not talking about the 2003 “Thunder Run” up to Baghdad – that’s ground combat”.
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Carter said that European allies should “step up” in the fight against Isis. Carter again pledged to deal ISIS a lasting defeat but repeated warnings that it will take time. Dunford said about 43 percent of the revenue that IS derives from oil has been affected by the recent strikes and said the USA also is targeting cement and other industries from which IS draws funds. “ISIL is not going to pose an existential threat to us, they are a risky organization like al Qaeda was, but we have hardened our defenses, our homeland has never been more protected by more effective intelligence and law enforcement professionals at every level than they are now”. “And what I’ve said is we’re going to continually modify and adjust our strategy based on those things that work and those things that may not work”.
