The U.S. is putting some of its most elite special operations combat troops on the ground for the first time in the year-plus fight against Islamic State (ISIS) militants.
Their mission is simple – find and destroy all terror leadership in the region.
Their targets include Al Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State who claims to be a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammad.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress on Tuesday that the U.S. military will deploy a new special operations force to Iraq to step up the fight against ISIS militants, who are determined to hold territory they have seized in Iraq and Syria. President Barack Obama previously announced he was sending fewer than 50 special operations forces to Syria.
The announcement of the new special operations force to Iraq comes as Republicans have called for more U.S. boots on the ground, while war-weary Americans stand divided about the prospect of greater military involvement.
Carter said the number in the new expeditionary force will be “larger” than 50. According to a U.S. official, the new U.S. step against IS will include over 200 troops, and will include elite assault teams, aviation units and other support units. It would likely be based in Irbil in northern Iraq. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the individual was not authorized to publicly discuss military planning.
Carter said the new force would focus on helping Iraq defend its borders and build its security forces, but also would be in position to conduct unilateral operations into Syria. Carter told the House Armed Services Committee that over time, the special operations force will be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture ISIS leaders. He said that will improve intelligence and generate more targets for attacks.
“This is an important capability because it takes advantage of what we’re good at. We’re good at intelligence, we’re good at mobility, we’re good at surprise,” Carter said. “We have the long reach that no one else has. And it puts everybody on notice in Syria. You don’t know at night who’s going to be coming in the window. And that’s the sensation that we want all of [ISIS’s] leadership and followers to have.”
Carter said the force might be American-only, but more likely would be mixed with Kurdish troops or others who are fighting the militants. He said the new force would conduct operations similar to two conducted earlier this year.
In October, U.S. special operations troops and Iraqi forces raided a compound in northern Iraq, freeing about 70 Iraqi prisoners who were facing execution. One U.S. service member was killed in the raid, the first American combat death in Iraq since the U.S. began its campaign against ISIS in August 2014. In May, a Delta Force raid in Syria killed ISIS financier Abu Sayyaf, yielding intelligence about the group’s structure and finances. His wife, held in Iraq, has been cooperating with interrogators.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Long over due!
Someone woke up POTUS?
Why would anyone with at least “THREE WORKING BRAIN CELLS” want’s to wake up Obama.
He can only do one thing, and that is to screw up any & all that he views and/or touches.
The best & only thing we citizens can do is work steadily to “Defund” and/or Defang any thing he proposes.
I rest my case.
Agree!! It’s about time the Press reports that U.S. is now coming FOR YOU ISIS!! Instead of reporting our short-comings and weak President! They (ISIS) need to be scared!! They need the Fear of our GOD in them!! Godspeed for our men and women in the armed forces- time for ALL of U.S. People to stand behind our troops!!
S
amen. !!! You preach it 🙂
NO,NO,NO. The press should such up. Let our OPS do the job they do best. And as far as Oboma, he’ll be tipping isis off. I’m sorry. but I’m really beginning to think like that. And the press gives out too much info about the who. what, where. why can’t we give OUR guys the advantage for a change.
But folks! The idiot Army just told ISIS exactly how many “troops” [in quotes because it is ridiculous to consider such a small number to be “troops” – when they start talking about Divisions then the term applies – upwards of 20,000] would be used, approximately how many special forces would be included AND where they would operate from!!! This has GOT to be the most stupid thing I ever heard of! The Army will be lucky to find enough “troops” who would agree to enter into such a death-net. In effect it has been announced exactly what ISIS should expect. The POTUS is MUSLIM SHIT and doesn’t give a damn if ISIS knows exactly what to expect – and therefore be ready!!!
Rigorous, I said what you said, only you said it better. Bless you fellow American.
Hate to break the news to you this way but these guys are NOT sent to confront isis they are sent to confront Russia.
You got it!
I wish more people would wake up. THE CIA. CREATED AND SUPPORT ISIS. OUR GOVERNMENT DOESN’T WANT TO DESTROY THEM.
You’re right on. The Russians are doing too good a job destroying ISIS. We are sending those troops to their death. Putin has already warned Obama about interfering with his attacks on ISIS. And Obama is just ignoring him. Our government is going to do everything they can to get us into another war. That’s our government’s plan.
You got it wrong! Pulling troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan created the vacuum which allowed ISIS to form! Think again!!!
War by proxy (again)?
I do not understand, we are sending elite forces over there yet barck obama is introducing undesirables to our soil, I am all for the sending but defensively I am against bringing refugees to our soil for these may be contaminated one way or the other.
Barack Obama the Muslim Traitor in the White House really doesn’t want to kill his Muslim brothers. Why do you think he’s waited so long. And besides giving a 45 minute warning before bombing. Get out of our White House you traitor!
All I can do at this point is shake my head. At this point I would like to see the rainbow house nuked! Go Putin!
It is so sad that a good share of America people trust the leader of Russia more than they do their own government. But that’s what our government’s done to us. We all including myself love this country, but certainly not the people that are running it, and have done take good job of destroying it. Somehow the people need to rise up against our tyrannical government and take our country back.
AMEN
Don’t ever say that about the WH, And never a “go Putin”. He would nuke us in a minite. I have every bit of anger, frustration and sorrow as you, but I’m sure I’m older and nuke the WH, or show faver to putin is not the right thing. Be angrey at our gov. and so called leader, sure of cource, but Putin is a dangouse thug, and Not our friend in any way. I’m sure you love our country as I do, but the closer in age toward Korea, and WW2, we have, and say differant feelings about some things. All the best to you.
Sal has his head screwed on straight!!!
It’s well known that Special Ops units go about their assignments without fanfare and cheap, sophomoric boasting.
Why such an advisement like this? The enemy knows that Special Ops are coming, the stupid civilians in charge only need to sit on their backsides and vent threatening forecasts about troops who don’t celebrate what they do and when they’ll do it.
Your ignorance does nothing for the morale of our specially trained and self-motivated patriots, except to continually alert
their quarries to be even more cautious than they already are
Of all places this boastfulness will appear, Facebook will show it and the enemy never misses a day with Facebook. You people should be thinking about the men assigned to the task!
To he– with what Carter says, he’ll always be far from where our people must go and with God’s help, return.
Now, please “pipe down” and try to understand that our Special Forces don’t need the publicity. They have no fun assignment, they aren’t frivolous about it, they need to be left to their mission without your boasting of what you think will come.
Just hope you people didn’t already foul-up their mission.
Why do you think Obama advertised he was sending special forces over there to begin with. Had he had any intention of them succeeding he would’ve kept this all quiet. He is purposely sending those troops to their death. None of this text will have any consequence whatsoever on their outcome. That’s already been decided by the traitors in the Whitehouse.
Stan Lee has it just right! Good for you Stan – you understand that telling the enemy what you are going to do and where you are going to be doing it from is what I have called a death-net.
Ok here is another Big issue as well..
LETS JUST ADVERTISE WHAT WE ARE DOING.
The press needs to keep their yaps shut. That’s why the enemy gets a heads up where our home post will be..STUPID STUPID ..NEVER DISCLOSE YOUR LOCATION.
But of course the snake in the White House will tip them off.
or even better while he sendS OUR troops over there they set up another strike here.
By all means alert them so they can kill more Americans. If Obama wouldn’t went on TV every day telling them no boots on the ground and alerting them before a bomb was dropped we wouldn’t be in this mess. In 2011 they had pictures of them forming and on the move why wasn’t they wiped out then? Why was he so smart to go against the generals telling him not to pull out?
Thank God something is finally taking place. Why did it take so long, is beyond me. Well that’s a no brainer, the President, if you choose to identify him as that, doesn’t want to hurt his comrades.
Have you ever heard of the LOW BOYS CLUB So called rev wright God Dam America. if you did you would know why we have this problem in the White House.
HHH you remember he was a member of the Rev Wright church for 20 some years in that low boys club. Before that I have seen pictures of him setting on a couch close 2 his boy friend smoking pot or what ever, he is a evil man and because all his records are sealed, ‘WHY’? 2 me that means you have a lot of things 2 hide.It all will come out when he is out of office or dead. Hillary and Bill are in the same boat. This Demc. party is no better than the one in China.
Jim Tucker, you bringing up Oboms records, It always seem strange to me. #1 Our Gov, the house and senate should have had the power to see those records. #2 The American people should have had the right to also. (We’re only voting for Our President of the USA). And it’s hard to believe that “both” parties, didn’t demand them. Something is terrably wrong about that in my eyes. The Manchurian candidate comes to mind. The New World Order??? #3 And how many in the PROGRESSIVE , Socialist Demo. party, know the truth about him!!?? What a disgusting thought. To me it’s spooky.
Obama is a “Wanabe” worshiper of Jeremiah Wright.
I suggest you read the book ‘Conduct Unbecoming”, written & published by Robert “Buzz” Patterson, Lt Col., USAF (Ret)
This book, some 344 pages, is definitely an eye opener,
He also wrote “Dereliction of Duty”
The best & only thing a true American can hope for is to work diligently to have Obama impeached, and then deported back to Kenya where he was born.
Muslim don’t have to tell the truth to “infidels” by their rules. Do you want to know why Muslims don’t belong in America? Read:
“Islam Revealed” by Dr. Anise A. Shorrosh (A Christian Palestinian Arab)
He knows and understands the Quran and Muslim theology. The book is Forwarded by Dr. Adrian Rogers, then President of the Southern Baptist Convention, Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN.
No Muslims don’t belong in any Christian country.
It’s about time. We are in a war with ISIS. We need to fight ISIS with the goal of winning as quickly as possible.
Barak Obama (RITHIA), will do all he can to stand these folks down from doing an effective Job.
Here you go people! The answers to many questions!!!
History will show, if we live long enough as a Country, that Obama is the worst, the most damaging, the most anti-American President we have ever had. The Constitution is very clear on how we should deal with this situation, but the other two branches of our government are doing NOTHING.
http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/breaking-four-star-admiral-makes-huge-announcement-obama-muslim-brotherhood-video/
or Copy and paste this into your search engine.
4-Star Admiral: Obama Is Leading The Muslim Brotherhood, Who Has Infiltrated All US Security and Intel Agencies
And now there’s a general on FB telling Obama off! What’s going on here, America???
We need to send this to as many people as we can. Americans STILL don’t know they are in terrible danger – they and their families
I don’t think the American public even knows about this. If a Muslim tells you he is anti-violence and will never attack you or try to take over your country DON’T BELIEVE A WORD HE (OR SHE) SAYS. The Muslims have said they will destroy us from within. SO FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. I know a Muslim woman who lives in AZ. When she and her daughter come from the mosque, they are so sure Obumma is some great Muslim prophet and savior, and “soon, very soon” America will be all Muslim. Oh, but I won’t be hurt. And I believe them??? I don’t think so!
yes it is scary what this country is going thru .. and the American people put the mulsim in the White House .. and yes they will destroy us from within.. I fear the muslim in the white house will NOT step aside on 01/20/2017 – he has had 7 years to set his up his play and put his plan in motion. All the sleeper cells in this nation ( yes that lovely, quiet muslim lady next door) the muslims in your neighborhood that own businesses.. less than a mile from me there is a BP gas station and a Subway with mulslim owners) they will rise up and destroy us all when he refuses to pass the torch to the next president. He could even accomplish it with Hillary in theWH.
Vote for Donald Trump!!!!