In a marked shift in strategy, the United States is getting set to deploy for the first time a small number of Special Operations forces in Syria to assist rebel forces battling ISIS, top officials said ahead of a formal White House pronouncement.
In what will tantamount to putting American boots on the ground in Syria — something that President Barack Obama has been chary about all along — the moves comes in the wake of recent Russian intervention in what Pentagon believes to be an effort to bolster the beleaguered Bashar al-Assad regime.
It also comes on the heels of what is said to be the first death of an American military service member in the fight against ISIS. Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler died last week in Iraq as he and other American Special Operations forces conducted a raid to rescue hostages held by ISIS.
A senior White House official was quoted by ABC News as saying that the change is consistent with the strategy to intensify the battle against ISIS, yet noting that the dispatch will consist of just about 50 Special Operations forces to work with the rebel group, known as the Syrian Arab Coalition.
Stating that it will be a primarily advisory role, the official said the Special Operations forces will provide training, assistance and advice just like what US troops are doing in Iraq. “We don’t have any intention to pursue long-term, large-scale ground combat operations like those we’ve seen in the past in Iraq and Afghanistan,” a senior Obama administration official was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying as he projected the upcoming operation as a “narrow” mission.
The deployment, set to begin in the coming days, is being viewed as a significant escalation of the US military campaign. Although thousands of airstrikes conducted over the past year, these have not achieved the desired results against ISIS forces.
An official was quoted by NBC News as saying that the US move represents a “shift” and not a “change” of strategy. He said the Special Operations forces will be stationed in northern Syria and work alongside groups with a “proven track record” of fighting ISIS.
Some Republican lawmakers see it as a “too late, too little” gambit by Obama. “I’m concerned that the administration is trying to put in place limited measures — too late — that are not going to make a difference. I don’t see a strategy towards accomplishing a goal, I see an effort to run out the clock without disaster,” he commented.