Mission Creeps on as US Announces More Boots on the Ground
Published on
Tuesday, December 01, 2015
by
Common Dreams
Mission Creeps on as US Announces More Boots on the Ground
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says deployment of special operations forces
will be 'larger than 50'
by
Sarah Lazare, staff writer
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter testifies on Tuesday before the House Armed
Services Committee hearing on the U.S. strategy for Syria and Iraq. (Photo:
Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)
Marking the next phase of mission creep, the United States is deploying more
special operations forces to Iraq, where they will be given license to
operate unilaterally in neighboring Syria, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter
announced Tuesday.
Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee, Carter referred to the
deployment as a "specialized expeditionary targeting force" aimed at
providing assistance to Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga troops engaged in combat
with ISIS, also referred to as the Islamic State and Daesh.
"These special operators will over time be able to conduct raids, free
hostages, gather intelligence, and capture [ISIS] leaders," said Carter, in
a direct reference to their combat roles. Carter did not specify exactly how
many service members will deploy, saying only that the number will be
"larger than 50."
The deployment will constitute a "standing force," meaning the commandos
will be headquartered in Iraq, said Carter. What's more, additional
deployments will likely follow, or as Carter put it: "There will be more."
While the announcement marked an escalation in the administration's public
line, it appears to be a continuation of the already-existing U.S. policy,
under which the troop presence has expanded to both countries.
There are currently about 3,500 U.S. service members in Iraq and up to 50
special forces in Syria.
In addition to troop deployments, the U.S. is responsible for the vast
majority of the 5,107 airstrikes in Iraq and 2,712 in Syria conducted by the
end of October 2015, according to the count of journalist Chris Woods.
It is not known how many civilians have been killed in these bombings, which
have escalated in the wake of the Paris attacks. In October alone, there
were at least 22 incidents in Iraq and Syria in which the U.S.-led coalition
may have killed up to 102 civilians total, according to Woods.
In some areas, civilians have been bombarded by numerous air forces. For
example, the hundreds of thousands of people who live in Raqqa, Syria have
endured airstrikes by U.S., Russian, Syrian, and French air forces, as well
as the brutality of ISIS.
The U.S. escalation comes amid growing concern over the rush to war in the
wake of the Paris massacre on November 13, with large protests slated for
Tuesday evening in London on the eve of the UK's parliamentary to join the
bombing campaign in Syria.
Analysts have repeatedly warned that there is no U.S. military solution to
the rise of ISIS, and say, in fact, American aggression has clearly failed.
From anti-war campaigners to a former U.S. intelligence chief to President
Barack Obama himself, many have acknowledged that U.S. military aggression
played a critical role in fueling the rise of ISIS in the first place.
"We have enough evidence that trying to fight extremist ideologies by
sending more troops doesn't work," Raed Jarrar, expert on Middle East
politics and government relations manager for the American Friends Service
Committee, told Common Dreams. "The U.S. has been doing that for years and
failing."
"More importantly," Jarrar added, "the U.S. is fighting alongside war
criminals and human rights abusers in the Iraqi forces. The Obama
administration is doubling down on a misguided policy that will lead to more
conflict and violence."
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Mission Creeps on as US Announces More Boots on the Ground
Published on
Tuesday, December 01, 2015
by
Common Dreams
Mission Creeps on as US Announces More Boots on the Ground
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says deployment of special operations forces
will be 'larger than 50'
by
Sarah Lazare, staff writer
. 4 Comments
.
. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter testifies on Tuesday before the
House Armed Services Committee hearing on the U.S. strategy for Syria and
Iraq. (Photo: Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)
. Marking the next phase of mission creep, the United States is
deploying more special operations forces to Iraq, where they will be given
license to operate unilaterally in neighboring Syria, Defense Secretary
Ashton Carter announced Tuesday.
. Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. before the House Armed
Services Committee, Carter referred to the deployment as a "specialized
expeditionary targeting force" aimed at providing assistance to Iraqi and
Kurdish Peshmerga troops engaged in combat with ISIS, also referred to as
the Islamic State and Daesh.
. "These special operators will over time be able to conduct raids,
free hostages, gather intelligence, and capture [ISIS] leaders," said
Carter, in a direct reference to their combat roles. Carter did not specify
exactly how many service members will deploy, saying only that the number
will be "larger than 50."
. The deployment will constitute a "standing force," meaning the
commandos will be headquartered in Iraq, said Carter. What's more,
additional deployments will likely follow, or as Carter put it: "There will
be more."
While the announcement marked an escalation in the administration's public
line, it appears to be a continuation of the already-existing U.S. policy,
under which the troop presence has expanded to both countries.
There are currently about 3,500 U.S. service members in Iraq and up to 50
special forces in Syria.
In addition to troop deployments, the U.S. is responsible for the vast
majority of the 5,107 airstrikes in Iraq and 2,712 in Syria conducted by the
end of October 2015, according to the count of journalist Chris Woods.
It is not known how many civilians have been killed in these bombings, which
have escalated in the wake of the Paris attacks. In October alone, there
were at least 22 incidents in Iraq and Syria in which the U.S.-led coalition
may have killed up to 102 civilians total, according to Woods.
In some areas, civilians have been bombarded by numerous air forces. For
example, the hundreds of thousands of people who live in Raqqa, Syria have
endured airstrikes by U.S., Russian, Syrian, and French air forces, as well
as the brutality of ISIS.
The U.S. escalation comes amid growing concern over the rush to war in the
wake of the Paris massacre on November 13, with large protests slated for
Tuesday evening in London on the eve of the UK's parliamentary to join the
bombing campaign in Syria.
Analysts have repeatedly warned that there is no U.S. military solution to
the rise of ISIS, and say, in fact, American aggression has clearly failed.
From anti-war campaigners to a former U.S. intelligence chief to President
Barack Obama himself, many have acknowledged that U.S. military aggression
played a critical role in fueling the rise of ISIS in the first place.
"We have enough evidence that trying to fight extremist ideologies by
sending more troops doesn't work," Raed Jarrar, expert on Middle East
politics and government relations manager for the American Friends Service
Committee, told Common Dreams. "The U.S. has been doing that for years and
failing."
"More importantly," Jarrar added, "the U.S. is fighting alongside war
criminals and human rights abusers in the Iraqi forces. The Obama
administration is doubling down on a misguided policy that will lead to more
conflict and violence."
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
License
