President Obama is expected to announce plans Friday to deploy a small number of troops to serve in an advisory role in Syria, administration and congressional sources told Reuters.
One unnamed source told the news organization the number of special operations forces set for deployment is “tiny,” but didn’t offer a specific number.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter had said earlier this week in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee the Pentagon would be ramping up attacks on ISIS, including with “direct action on the ground” in Iraq and Syria.
Carter also said “things are complicated” in reference to the action. Obama has repeatedly said American troops in the region would not be directly engaged in combat.
Earlier this month, Obama announced plans to keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the end of his presidency in 2017. The military action means Obama’s successor will likely inherit wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq, two conflicts Obama campaigned to end.
This post has been updated.
This will go well.
Isn’t this sort of acknowledging a situation after the fact? We know there are SpecOp forces in the region because they were part of the rescue mission reported last week. I always assumed that they never left after we withdrew the last of our ground troops.
(head in hands)
We learn, but only slowly and painfully.
This is what ISIS has bragged about and so wanted because it fits their twisted prophesy about the town of Dabiq, Syria. Dabiq is also the name they gave to their on-line magazine. They are looking for an end-times level battle there.
and away we gooooo
…
Whether by reality or by pressure from Lindsey Graham, one of those statements will be changing in the future.
OK - I’m sort of confused as to what’s going on. Can someone clarify what things are happening because it sounds to me as though several things are happening some of which are contradictory.
The US is sending spec ops into Syria to combat ISIS. Our troops are going to support the “Syrian rebels.” (In quotes because I don’t understand who these rebels are fighting for or against.
The Russians are sending their Air Force to support the Assad regime from falling and to protect Russian interests in the region.
The Kurds are fighting ISIS but I’ve also heard that they are fighting against the Assad regime.
What are we doing there again?