Obama: New special forces to Iraq, not another US invasion

The president expressed confidence that the U.S. Special Forces would add to these measures.

“These special operators will, over time, be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture ISIL leaders”, he told Congress. “This force will also be in a position to conduct unilateral operations in Syria”. Islamic State forces, estimated at about 1,000, have barricaded themselves behind civilians, the official said, and Iraqi counterterrorism forces are proceeding “deliberately…it’s going to be street by street”.

“U.S. ground troops can kill a lot of bad guys, but as we learned in Iraq, our presence has the effect of drawing two enemy fighters into battle for every one we kill”.

“We are dropping more bombs because our capability to develop targets has increased”, Warren said. “You really have to absolutely have the best intelligence that you can possibly get”.

The improved intelligence also could start to pay off in the coming days and weeks as the U.S.-led air campaign is set to get a boost from Britain, which decided Wednesday to follow France and expand its bombing of Islamic State targets to those in Syria.

Carter said the force might be American-only, but more likely would be a mixed force with perhaps Kurdish troops or others who are fighting the militants.

The troops who will go on raids will come from the often secretive Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In May, U.S. Delta Force commandos captured a woman named Umm Sayyaf, wife of senior ISIS operative Abu Sayyaf. But the USA military spokesman in Baghdad, Col. Steve Warren, suggested it could total around 100.

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider worldwide community.

Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the chairman of the committee, said the USA military effort must be bolstered and directed by the military and not “White House aides micromanaging” military operations.

“But what I’ve been very clear about is that we are going to systematically squeeze and ultimately destroy ISIL”. He said IS gains strength by claiming to be fighting against Western aggression.

“We are striking at Islamic State’s (ISIS) core in Iraq and in Syria, we are intensifying our support to local partners fighting ISIS on the ground, we are increasingly sinking our efforts to prevent foreign fighters from destroying our homelands”, he said.

So, the officials said, having a single aircraft deliver a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike.

FILE – U.S. airstrikes damaged an Islamic State military base in the center of Sinjar.

For now, the new forces are expected to operate independently of the 50 special operation forces going into northern Syria to advise and assist forces there. In southern Syria, the U.S.is enabling fighters to conduct strikes and is enhancing the border control and defenses of Jordan, a key ally.