The United States is set to deploy 50 Special Operations soldiers to Syria to aid rebels of ISIS in their ongoing battle. Full story after the jump.
For the first time, ground troops of “fewer than 50” Spec Ops soldiers will be deployed to Syria to help Syrian rebels ward off the Islamic State, stated a senior administration official on Friday. The U.S troops are set to be deployed in the coming days and will help local Arab and Kurdish forces with logistics against ISIS in the northern Kurdish controlled territory.
The U.S will also be deploying A-10 and F-15 fighter jets to an airbase in Turkey, in efforts to additionally target ISIS leaders. President Obama is also sending troops to Lebanon and Jordan to counter ISIS.
Since September 2014, the U.S has been targeting ISIS as well as aiding local rebels of Syria, by air-dropping ammunition, weapons and other supplies. In addition to secret missions that have been conducted in Syria, this is the first operation known, of a permanent U.S presence in the Islamic State. ISIS has already gained control of vast areas in Iraq and Syria.
The decision is coming right off the death of U.S Army Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler, who died last week freeing 70 ISIS hostages. Our troops are not expected to serve on the frontlines, but they will be in a very hot combat zone with orders to engage in battle if under duress. If permitted from Washington, they will also aid in Kurdish forces on future raids.
U.S Secretary of State John Kerry, has been holding meetings with countries such as Russia, Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in talks of peace. Iran and Russia have both supported Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, the man criticized of war crimes against his own country’s people. Russia entered the fight earlier this month by deploying their own forces to Syria with a bombing campaign to target and stop ISIS, but the focus seems to be more on taking down Syria’s president. Obama warned Russia that it’s airstrikes would bring Syria into a “quagmire” if the bombing continues.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper stated on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not have a plan mapped out for his country’s military involvement in Syria and he thinks “he is kind of winging this day to day.”
