Page 3 - Aruba Today
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U.S. NEWS A3
Wednesday 2 December
US sending new special ops force to fight Islamic State
DEB RIECHMANN And it puts everybody on Defense Secretary Ash Carter, left, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. arrive
Associated Press notice in Syria. You don’t on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, to testify before the House Armed Services
WASHINGTON (AP) — know at night who’s going Committee hearing on the U.S. Strategy for Syria and Iraq and its Implications for the Region.
The U.S. military will deploy to be coming in the win-
a new special operations dow. And that’s the sen- (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
force to Iraq to step up the sation that we want all of
fight against Islamic State ISIL’s leadership and follow-
militants unleashing vio- ers to have.”
lence in Iraq and Syria and According to a U.S. official,
determined to hold territo- the force could total up to
ry they have seized across a couple hundred troops,
the Middle East, Defense including the assault
Secretary Ash Carter told teams, aviation units and
Congress on Tuesday. other support units. It would
Carter, who testified along- likely be based in Irbil.
side Gen. Joseph Dun- Obama has set the maxi-
ford, chairman of the Joint mum number of troops at
Chiefs of Staff, faced skepti- 3,550, but it was not clear
cal lawmakers who argued whether the president will
that the U.S. needs to be increase that number to
more forceful in countering accommodate the force,
the threat from IS, credited or whether the teams
with attacks in Paris and would have to be built
Beirut and the downing of within the current limit.
a Russian airliner. The official spoke on condi-
Carter told the House tion of anonymity because
Armed Services Commit- the individual was not au-
tee that over time, the spe- thorized to publicly discuss
cial operations force will military planning.
be able to conduct raids, Carter said the force might
free hostages, gather in- be American-only, but
telligence and capture IS more likely would be a
leaders. Carter said that will mixed force with perhaps
improve intelligence and Kurdish troops or others who
generate more targets for are fighting the militants. He
attacks. said the new force would
There currently are about conduct operations similar
3,500 U.S. troops in Iraq, and to two conducted earlier
President Barack Obama this year.
had previously announced In October, U.S. special op-
he was sending fewer than erations troops and Iraqi
50 special operations forc- forces raided a compound
es to Syria. There has been in northern Iraq freeing
a growing call from some about 70 Iraqi prisoners
Republicans for more U.S. who were facing execu-
ground forces and a divide tion. One U.S. service mem-
among war-weary Ameri- ber was killed in the raid,
cans about the prospect the first American combat
of greater military involve- death in Iraq since the U.S.
ment. began its campaign
Carter said the number against IS in August 2014.
in the new expedition- In May, a Delta Force raid
ary force will be “larger” in Syria killed IS financier
than 50. He said it will be Abu Sayyaf, yielded intel-
a “standing” force, mean- ligence about the group’s
ing it will be stationed in structure and finances, and
Iraq. He said it would fo- his wife, held in Iraq, has
cus on helping Iraq defend been cooperating with in-
its borders and build the terrogators.
Iraqi security forces, but Also on Monday the US
also would be in position to House passed a bill autho-
conduct unilateral opera- rizing a 7 percent spending
tions into Syria. increase for US intelligence
“This is an important ca- agencies and pressing
pability because it takes President Barack Obama
advantage of what we’re to produce a strategy to
good at,” Carter said. defeat the Islamic State.
“We’re good at intel- The bill, passed Tuesday by
ligence, we’re good at a vote of 364 to 58, must
mobility, we’re good at be reconciled with a simi-
surprise. We have the long lar measure pending in the
reach that no one else has. Senate.q
