Page 5 - atoday
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Wednesday 28 October
Defense secretary says US is retooling fight against IS
Defense Secretary Ash Carter, accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, one U.S. defense official
testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, before the Senate Armed Services said after Carter testified.
Committee. Carter said Tuesday that the U.S. is willing to step up unilateral attacks against Islamic The official was not au-
State militants in Iraq or Syria, a signal that the U.S. would escalate American involvement beyond thorized to discuss internal
airstrikes by giving the go-ahead for U.S. special operations forces’ raids on the ground. deliberations publicly and
thus spoke on condition of
(AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) anonymity.
The administration also is
considering other moves
that would place U.S.
troops closer to the front
lines.
The changes Carter cited
focus largely on target-
ing Raqqa, the militants’
declared capital in Syria,
and recapturing Ramadi,
the capital of Anbar prov-
ince in western Iraq, which
IS fighters captured in May
and have successfully
defended so far. In Syria,
Carter said the U.S. will sup-
port moderate Syrian forc-
es fighting IS militants, who
have made territorial gains
near Raqqa. q
DEB RIECHMANN Syria and Iraq, where IS mili-
ROBERT BURNS tants have captured large
Associated Press swaths of territory and have
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sig- largely fought the U.S.-led
naling a possible escalation coalition to a stalemate.
of U.S. military action in the With little recent progress
Middle East, Defense Sec- in defeating the militant
retary Ash Carter said Tues- group, the defense secre-
day that the United States tary’s testimony outlined a
is retooling its strategy in changing U.S. approach
Iraq and Syria and would to the fight against IS. The
conduct unilateral ground changes point toward the
raids if needed to target Is- prospect of deeper U.S.
lamic State militants. military involvement, al-
The U.S. has done special though President Barack
operations raids in Syria and Obama has said he would
participated in a ground not authorize a major com-
operation to rescue hos- mitment of ground combat
tages last week in north- forces.
ern Iraq that resulted in the Among other options be-
first U.S. combat death in ing considered is providing
Iraq since 2011. Carter did close-air support for Iraqi
not say under what circum- ground forces with Apache
stances the U.S. might con- helicopters or other air-
duct more ground action, craft, and embedding U.S.
but said, “Once we locate military advisers with small-
them, no target is beyond er Iraqi units, thus placing
our reach.” the Americans closer to the
“We won’t hold back from front lines. That’s accord-
supporting capable part- ing to defense officials who
ners in opportunistic at- spoke on condition of ano-
tacks against ISIL, or con- nymity to discuss internal
ducting such missions di- deliberations.
rectly, whether by strikes The U.S. now has about
from the air or direct ac- 3,300 troops in Iraq to train
tion on the ground,” Carter and advise Iraqi forces and
said, using an acronym for to protect U.S. facilities.
the militant group. There are no U.S. troops in
Carter and Marine Gen. Syria.
Joseph Dunford, chairman Among options being con-
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sidered is using U.S. Army
testified before the Senate Apache helicopters and
Armed Services Commit- perhaps other aircraft to
tee. Republicans harshly provide close-air support
criticized the Obama ad- for Iraqi ground troops in
ministration’s strategy in certain circumstances,
