Mattis Not Ready to Recommend Ground Combat Troops for Syria, Iraq

[bathroommonkey76]

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday he wants to consult with allies before considering putting U.S. ground combat troops into Syria and Iraq to speed up the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Mattis did not rule out the possibility but said, "I first want to talk to the other allies and we'll decide where we're going."

Without input from the allies, Mattis said he is not "comfortable answering on my own at this point" on the issue of recommending to President Donald Trump that the U.S. commit conventional forces to Syria and Iraq.

The consultations with Mideast allies are likely to begin this weekend following a security conference in Germany on Friday, Mattis said at a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"I'm going to fly from here into the Middle East," he said. "Once we know what we have in a mutual appreciation of the situation, then we'll go forward."

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/02/16/pentagon-mulls-option-send-ground-combat-troops-syria.html

[bathroommonkey76]

1. We'll have troops there before the summer. nt

[Blue_true]

3. I hope no more than we already have. nt

[bathroommonkey76]

4. I live in NC and there has been increased training of troops in the area.

Last time I saw something of this magnitude was before the Iraq/Afghanistan wars-- I'm not banging the fear drum either. But I do have a feeling something big is about to go down.

[Blue_true]

2. I hope that Trump understand troops in Iraq and Syria

Will be fighting urban style combat and that troop loss will likely be high. The strategy of using special forces troops to train and provide logistics for local forces that do the fighting seems to be the wisest - that is the current policy.