U.S. officials say a small group of American ground troops will be heading to Syria to “advise and assist” opposition groups. Initial reports say the special-operations forces’ aim is to defeat the extremist Islamic State group.

A senior Obama administration official said Friday that the president has authorized a small complement of U.S. Special Forces - fewer than 50 troops - to deploy to northern Syria.  

These forces will coordinate local ground forces and join in coalition efforts to counter IS. The deployment marks the first time U.S. ground forces are being officially sent to Syria for more than a raid or a specific mission.

Reporters at the White House were told that Obama also approved consultations with Iraqi leaders to establish a special-operations task force to strengthen and enhance efforts to weaken and defeat IS leaders and networks.

As part of this new action, the president also ordered additional A-10 and F-15 warplanes to deploy to NATO’s Incirlik airbase in Turkey.

A senior Obama administration official said the White House is “intensifying” the counter-IS campaign, after studies about the effectiveness of previous anti-IS tactics.

 

Members of the extremist group have become infamous for their brutal tactics, including mass beheadings, aimed at indiscriminate targets including other Muslims who do not share their beliefs. The group’s leaders have said their aim is to establish an Islamic “caliphate,” evidently in Syria, and to work to maximize the territory they control in the Middle East.

The White House said the U.S. has made “good progress” in Iraq and Syria when it has worked closely with effective partners on the ground, and now has enhanced its ability to partner with those forces.

As the United States increases its military effort against Islamic State, officials stressed that increased diplomatic efforts also are underway to reach a political solution in Syria - including the current multinational talks in Vienna, where Secretary of State John Kerry has been meeting with diplomats from Iran and Russia, the two main allies of embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

 

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Source: VOA News: Economy and Finance