USA intensifying fight against Islamic State militants -Pentagon chief

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. “It doesn’t mean we’re not on the lookout for them”, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Defense Department spokesman, said Monday.

The Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar in September declared allegiance to Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, Al-Nusra. Last week, Assad was called to Moscow for intensive discussions, and since then Lavrov and other Russian officials have called for early parliamentary and presidential elections in Syria to be held next year.

For Obama and Carter, though, doing something – even if it isn’t enough to generate immediate battlefield victories – may be preferable to the status quo.

The recommendations came at President Barack Obama’s request after “mounting White House dissatisfaction with progress against the Islamic State”, also known as ISIS.

The Pentagon chief touched on the joint Kurdish-US Special Forces operation that set free 69 Sunni Arabs in an ISIS prison near Hawija on October 22, saying that while the U.S. role in Iraq is to “train, advise and assist” Iraqi forces, United States forces will support partners when reliable intelligence is available. “Some of them are within 30 miles of Raqqa today”, he said.

The coalition has been bombing the militant group in both Iraq and Syria for more than a year.

Carter said he was disappointed that the United States effort to form new moderate Syrian rebel forces to fight IS had failed.

Carter’s outline of the new U.S. approach came under attack by Republicans on the committee.

Following the raid, in which Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler became the first American serviceman to die in action in Iraq since 2011, Carter said he expected “more of this kind of thing”.

“My thoughts, before you engage any American troops, [are]… what’s the goal, what’s the strategy to achieve it, and are you completely committed to achieving the goal before you start committing troops”, said Senate Foreign Relations panel member Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

Dunford said, “I think the balance of forces right now are in Assad’s advantage”.

Complicating the situation in Syria and Iraq is the new involvement of the Russians and the continuing presence of Iranian forces and Iranian-supported forces from Hezbollah.