Iraq Tells Washington it Doesn’t Want US Troops on the Ground

As Carter briefed the Armed Services Committee on the USA strategy against the militants, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee behind closed doors on the same issue, just days before heading to Vienna for multilateral talks on Syria.

” ‘This is combat and things are complicated, ‘ Carter said”.

Testifying to politicians, Carter said U.S. forces would not shy away from “direct action on the ground” if they see a chance to hit ISIL targets.

Carter’s statement appears to be a doubling-down of comments he made last week following the raid in which US Special Operations forces and Kurdish peshmerga troops stormed an IS-run prison near Hawijah in northern Iraq, freeing a few 70 captives who were facing imminent execution.

“I think to the extent there’s a distinction turning around the word “combat” is not between a particular operation but between a mission”, he said, “and the overall mission of US forces in Iraq is to enable by equipping, training, advising, assisting capable and motivated local forces”. Carter is on a week long tour of the Middle East focused on reassuring allies about Iran and assessing progress in the coalition air campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

“[But] once we locate them, no target is beyond our reach”, he said.

“There may be opportunities in the south as well as in the north where our European coalition partners could in fact play an important role, and I’m thinking special operations”, Allen said, adding that additional details could only be provided in a classified setting.

Senators from both sides of the aisle ripped Carter for failing to back a safe zone in Syria for refugees fleeing Russian airstrikes and the barrel bombs from Assad’s helicopters. He also complained about the U.S.

Dunford said putting USA troops with Iraqi forces could ensure logistics effectiveness and boost intelligence awareness.

Ashton Carter, the Defence Secretary, has the decency to let us into the secret.

The last “R” is Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s Anbar province, where Carter said the USA would do more in terms of providing assistance and fire support to local Iraqi forces to take on ISIS. There are no USA troops in Syria.

The defense secretary did not specify under what conditions United States attacks would be carried out on Syrian soil.

Reports earlier this month also indicated that Baghdad might eventually ask Moscow to conduct a similar air campaign over Iraq, a move that might tilt the military balance in the region, where the United States has held a firm grip over a decade.

Graham seized on their replies.

Fabius said last week that France is working towards presenting a draft UN Security Council resolution to stop President Bashar al-Assad’s regime from using barrel bombs.

“You have turned Syria over to Russian Federation and Iran….” The US says American and Kurdish commandos received information the hostages were going to be killed.