US special operations forces to go to Syria
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UNITED States President Barack Obama plans to deploy a small number of special operations forces to Syria to advise rebels Washington deems moderate, US sources said yesterday, a step he has long resisted to avoid getting dragged into another war in the Middle East.
Obama was expected to send fewer than 60 troops, said congressional sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. One official said the number was likely to be in the range of 20 to 30, but could not provide details.
US officials stressed the forces were not meant to engage in frontline combat, but rather to advise and assist moderate rebels. Their key role would be “logistical,” to ensure that weapons and other supplies are delivered to the moderate forces the US supports, an official said.
The sources said that the move reflected a wider strategy of strengthening moderate rebels in Syria even as Washington intensifies its efforts to find a diplomatic solution to end the four-and-a-half year Syrian civil war in which at least 200,000 people have died.
The US decision came after Russia escalated its military role in Syria in September to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russia said it targets the Islamic State militant group, but the West claims that its planes have hit other rebel groups opposed to Assad, including groups backed by Washington.
The new US strategy to assist in the fight against IS in Syria will be accompanied by a new special operations force in Erbil in northern Iraq, “intensified” cooperation with Iraqis in retaking Ramadi and expanded security assistance to Jordan and Lebanon, a senior congressional source said.
To further counter the militant group, Obama has also authorized deploying A-10s and F-15 aircraft to Incirlik airbase in Turkey, a senior administration official said.
The announcement was expected as US Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting at peace talks in Vienna.
The talks include the foreign ministers of Russia and Iran, which support Assad, and nations such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which are opposed to his remaining in power after a civil war that has driven millions abroad as refugees and displaced millions more in the country.
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