Obama Weighs Moving U.S. Troops Closer To Front Lines In Syria, Iraq
Source: Washington Post
By Missy Ryan and Greg Jaffe October 26 at 8:26 PM
The president’s most senior national security advisers have recommended measures that would move U.S. troops closer to the front lines in Iraq and Syria, officials said, a sign of mounting White House dissatisfaction with progress against the Islamic State and a renewed Pentagon push to expand military involvement in long-running conflicts overseas.
The debate over the proposed steps, which would for the first time position a limited number of Special Operations forces on the ground in Syria and put U.S. advisers closer to the firefights in Iraq, comes as Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter presses the military to deliver new options for greater military involvement in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
The changes, which would represent a significant escalation of the American role in Iraq and Syria, still require formal approval from President Obama, who could make a decision as soon as this week and could decide not to make any changes to the current course, said U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the discussions are still ongoing. It’s unclear how many additional troops would be required to implement the changes being considered by the president, but the number for now is likely to be relatively small, these officials said.
The recommendations came at Obama’s request and reflect the president’s and his top advisers’ concern that the battle in Iraq and Syria is largely stalemated and in need of new ideas to generate momentum against Islamic State forces.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-weighs-moving-us-troops-closer-to-front-lines-in-syria-iraq/2015/10/26/4ae2f36c-7bec-11e5-b575-d8dcfedb4ea1_story.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)The Pentagon, fresh off massacring 30 innocents and maiming another 100 at a clearly marked and known hospital, is now jealous of the Russians waging war in an area where The Pentagon has claimed all the turf - and you can always rely on the Washington Post to carry water for them.
Obama no doubt was given a long list of "options", of course "moving some personnel closer to the battle lines" would be an option....I can hear the war drums beating from a long way, it is a curse.
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)I'm pretty sure their mission would be ISIS, but shit happens.
Robbins
(5,066 posts)if i had wanted troops fighting in middle east i would never have supported him in 2008.
I oppose any americans dying In middle east.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)a soldier killed. I don't seriously believe the Obama WH would have greenlighted a rescue operation of unknown Iraqis--they were super cautious in rescuing AMERICANS last year. Now we're just running into ISIS-held compounds willy nilly to save foreigners of little known value to us? Who believes this bullshit? They went to kill or grab certain high-value individuals, and we weren't supposed to hear about it. Either that or we are making an extra special effort with the Kurds, who thought Kurdish prisoners were there but were mistaken. Obama is trying to conduct a ground war using only special forces, and hopes we won't really notice--but without calling it war or combat. Edit to add: I see the WaPo is using its article to do some weird, belated Hagel-bashing. Hagel only had about three months of fighting ISIS before he was forced out, and those three months were the most active and successful. Mosul dam, Yazidi and Kurd airdrops, Kobane, lots of airstrikes. By contrast, Ass Carter should have been fired about three times over by now, he's presided over nothing but fuck-ups and failures at the Pentagon.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)to be more effective--armed, of course--but I don't trust the Pentagon leadership to limit themselves and not do stupid shit, and I don't know where Obama stands on any of this anymore. Seems a recipe for disaster. Also, part of me wonders if this is because Iraq and Kurds are making overtures to Russia to bomb ISIS in Iraq. Gen. Dunford issued Iraq an ultimatum: Us or Russia. And Iraq said: OK, Russia.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)They do so love doing stupid shit.
Javaman
(62,500 posts)we can get enough of the blood and gore of war, can we?
if this actually happens, what if Russia does the same?
this is so not going to get well at all.
Abouttime
(675 posts)Why not go after the right wing Christian home grown terrorists? Start with limpballs, savage and glen beck!
Javaman
(62,500 posts)that wouldn't make the military weapon manufacturers enough money
Myrina
(12,296 posts)
I thought this shit was over & done. Silly, naieve little me.frizzled
(509 posts)Did I hear something wrong?
