Speculation that Pentagon officials could propose sending conventional ground combat troops to Syria is one of several ideas that could soon be presented to President Donald Trump.
If approved, it would put troops on the ground in Syria within weeks, CNN reported. That is unlike President Barack Obama’s policies, in which he placed only Special Operations forces there, which provided training and assistance to anti-ISIS opposition groups on the ground.
Obama’s administration never embraced the idea of ground combat troops, CNN reported, whereas, Trump’s administration may approach fighting ISIS differently.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who recently attended a counter-ISIS ministerial meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, is working on a counter-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria. Working alongside foreign ministers, the Department of Defense reported that all stakeholders involved at the NATO meeting agreed to meet again in the fall to discuss the state of the campaign. Additional adjustments based on the changing environment and other lessons learned will be addressed at that time, according to the defense department.
Sending American troops to Syria is just one of several ideas that may be presented to the President, officials said. Discussions are also underway on fundamentally changing how troops are deployed to Iraq. Current defense policy allows no more than 5,262 troops in Iraq, with 5,155 currently serving.
Should the Pentagon propose sending troops to Syria?
