On Monday, U.S. President, Barak Obama, stated in a speech in Germany that he will authorize the sending of as many as 300 special forces troops into Syria. He stated that these troops are needed in the battle against the Islamic State. By sending in these troops, Obama has increased the American presence in Syria by four times what it was.
The president tried to assure everyone that the troops were there only in a support role and would not be taking direct action on the ground in the five year long Syrian civil war. The United States has been supporting a loose confederation of independent fighters looking to overthrow the current ruling government that is heavily supported by the Russians.
“So make no mistake,” the president began, “these terrorists will learn the same lessons as others before them have which is your hatred is no match for our nations united in the defense of our way of life.”
Obama made the announcement on the final day of a six day swing of Europe.The president also said that he will continue to work non stop with diplomatic efforts because “the suffering of the Syrian people has to end…”
This deployment is in addition to the 200 new troops being sent into Iraq that was announced last month by the secretary of defense. The president has also told commanders in Iraq that they will be allowed to fly special ops units in helicopters to assist those fighting on the ground with intelligence gathering. Most of the fighting in Syria has been by the Kurds who don’t want to see the Islamic State slice out a huge swath of territory to establish an independent nation.
Obama had been in Europe meeting with top leaders pressing them to take on a more expanded role in the region. Most have balked at the idea of becoming entrenched in the Syrian civil war. While American interests can claim certain victories, the Islamic State continues to gain ground amid the failures and disorganization of their enemies.
The American military continues to fight on both fronts to prevent the Islamic State from establishing itself. The fighting in Iraq continues to be heavy and continues to be a taking and re-taking of the same territory without any real movement toward establishing some manner of claimed victory.
PHOTO SOURCES: Reuters, Associated Press