Senior National Security Advisers Urge Obama to Put Spec Ops Troops Close to
Islamic State Front
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/senior_national_security_advisers_urge_o
bama_spec_ops_troops_isis_20151027/
Posted on Oct 27, 2015
By Juan Cole
This post originally ran on Truthdig contributor Juan Cole's website.
Missy Ryan and Greg Jaffe at the Washington Post reveal that President
Obama's senior national security advisers have recommended positioning US
special operations forces closer to the enemy lines of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) in
Iraq and even in Syria.
Apparently it is felt that Iraqi troops would benefit from having stronger
nearby, in-field tactical support from US Navy Seals, Green Berets and other
special operations units. Likewise, their presence and guidance might help
the "Democratic Forces of Syria" in their fight attempt to take Raqqa, the
capital of Daesh. (The lead element in the Democratic Forces of Syria is
the Kurdish Self Protection Units or YPG).
These advisers clearly feel that US allies on the ground against Daesh lack
the tactical skills to make real progress against the brutal terrorist
organization on their own.
Washington is also getting a great deal of pressure from Iraqis. Anti-Daesh
Sunnis in al-Anbar Province are said to be astonished that the US and
Baghdad, after the fall Tikrit and some successes in villages outside
Ramadi, have just allowed Daesh to regroup and reimpose itself on the local
population.
Obviously, moving US troops closer to the front in this way and having them
in the field risks casualties.
And, putting US troops on the ground in northeastern Syria is illegal in
international law. There is no United Nations Security Council resolution
authorizing the use of deadly force in Syria, and the Syrian government
isn't asking for US troops (though the Syrian foreign minister has verbally
given his blessing to US bombing of Daesh, so maybe he would not actually
mind US special operations forces if they were deployed to overthrow Daesh
in Raqqa.)
The big danger here is escalation. The special operations forces are being
moved to the front out of frustration that American allies on the ground
seem unable to make substantial progress against Daesh, which is
increasingly ensconced among some 3 or 4 million people (the press estimates
of 9 million living under Daesh don't take account all the people who have
fled their rule).
But what if this doesn't work, either? Won't the number of special
operations troops have to be increased? And maybe in the end you need US
infantry? And then, boom, you have a big American army in Iraq and Syria
again.
It is even worse, because the mostly likely outcome is that the US will help
Shiites take the Sunni city of Mosul and will help Kurds take the Arab city
of Raqqa. Iraqi and Syrian Sunni Muslims will never forgive the US if that
scenario plays out, and will have a strong motive to attack the US and its
troops. Daesh waged a guerrilla war against US presence in Iraq 2004-2011,
and it can just go back into that mode.
WaPo suggests that this move is partly about Secretary of Defense Ash
Carter's legacy, more likely to be secured with bold action. Yes, that is
what Robert S. McNamara thought, too.
http://www.truthdig.com/ http://www.truthdig.com/
Senior National Security Advisers Urge Obama to Put Spec Ops Troops Close to
Islamic State Front
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/senior_national_security_advisers_urge_o
bama_spec_ops_troops_isis_20151027/
Posted on Oct 27, 2015
By Juan Cole
This post originally ran on Truthdig contributor Juan Cole's website.
Missy Ryan and Greg Jaffe at the Washington Post reveal that President
Obama's senior national security advisers have recommended positioning US
special operations forces closer to the enemy lines of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) in
Iraq and even in Syria.
Apparently it is felt that Iraqi troops would benefit from having stronger
nearby, in-field tactical support from US Navy Seals, Green Berets and other
special operations units. Likewise, their presence and guidance might help
the "Democratic Forces of Syria" in their fight attempt to take Raqqa, the
capital of Daesh. (The lead element in the Democratic Forces of Syria is the
Kurdish Self Protection Units or YPG).
These advisers clearly feel that US allies on the ground against Daesh lack
the tactical skills to make real progress against the brutal terrorist
organization on their own.
Washington is also getting a great deal of pressure from Iraqis. Anti-Daesh
Sunnis in al-Anbar Province are said to be astonished that the US and
Baghdad, after the fall Tikrit and some successes in villages outside
Ramadi, have just allowed Daesh to regroup and reimpose itself on the local
population.
Obviously, moving US troops closer to the front in this way and having them
in the field risks casualties.
And, putting US troops on the ground in northeastern Syria is illegal in
international law. There is no United Nations Security Council resolution
authorizing the use of deadly force in Syria, and the Syrian government
isn't asking for US troops (though the Syrian foreign minister has verbally
given his blessing to US bombing of Daesh, so maybe he would not actually
mind US special operations forces if they were deployed to overthrow Daesh
in Raqqa.)
The big danger here is escalation. The special operations forces are being
moved to the front out of frustration that American allies on the ground
seem unable to make substantial progress against Daesh, which is
increasingly ensconced among some 3 or 4 million people (the press estimates
of 9 million living under Daesh don't take account all the people who have
fled their rule).
But what if this doesn't work, either? Won't the number of special
operations troops have to be increased? And maybe in the end you need US
infantry? And then, boom, you have a big American army in Iraq and Syria
again.
It is even worse, because the mostly likely outcome is that the US will help
Shiites take the Sunni city of Mosul and will help Kurds take the Arab city
of Raqqa. Iraqi and Syrian Sunni Muslims will never forgive the US if that
scenario plays out, and will have a strong motive to attack the US and its
troops. Daesh waged a guerrilla war against US presence in Iraq 2004-2011,
and it can just go back into that mode.
WaPo suggests that this move is partly about Secretary of Defense Ash
Carter's legacy, more likely to be secured with bold action. Yes, that is
what Robert S. McNamara thought, too.
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