With a mission to train, arm, and provide strategic guidance to moderate rebels in Syria, the Commander in Chief authorized mobilization of a 50 person or less special ops force to begin operating inside areas controlled by ISIS. Earnest indicated that Iraqi forces a being built up, along with moderate rebels, and showing greater effectiveness with the help of Coalition support. The White House hopes to double-down on this new strategy with direct U.S. military oversight, but was careful to point out that the decision is not simultaneously receiving support from the Russian-backed Syrian government.
“When it comes to Northern Syria in particular, we have seen moderate opposition forces inside of Syria who have driven ISIL outside of Kubani,” Earnest continued, “after being resupplied by the United States military, these forces didn’t just drive ISIL out of Kubani, they drove them out of the broader region.”
Read the complete report here.
