Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the commander of US forces in Iraq and Syria, confirmed in an interview today that he still wants more ground troops in Syria, saying the troops would be needed to “fight ISIS,” and adding that he hoped the invasion of Raqqa would be “underway by this summer.”
The US announced the invasion of Raqqa late last year, starting an effort to surround the city which is still going at a slow rate. Townsend conceded in today’s comments that the attack in the actual city of Raqqa could be some way off, and that it might continue into 2018.
Townsend insisted the current troop levels were sufficient for the current mission of surrounding Raqqa, but that assessments on actually invading the city might lead to another request for more troops. The US has already sent substantially more troops to Syria in recent months, though the Pentagon has made it a point of policy to no longer report specific troop levels.
Any addition of more US ground troops to Syria will likely be far more controversial now, as the US attacked Syrian government targets just last week, and the administration continues to talk up the idea that further attacks could happen in the near future.
Syria never gave the US permission to send ground troops to their country, but had mostly ignored that fact since the US was fighting ISIS. With the US apparently shifting to more or less open conflict with Syria, the government is likely to object even more vociferously.
Trump wants more troops in Syria.
And Obama wanting less troops in Syria has nothing to do with it! Right?
If Obama wanted less troops in Syria, then why did he go from zero troops in Syria to some troops in Syria?
Because Obama’s best efforts were defeated at every turn he made. Obama and Putin prevented a US led war in Syria and Obama set the stage to prevent a US led war with Iran.
You debate it Thomas. I’m just here to push some of the truths that are becoming evident now with the revealing of the real Trump. I think that maybe some people are ready to hear it, regardless of their hate for Obama which is mostly based on racism. That’s my contribution to my side of the debate!
I don’t understand why you keep bringing up race at this site. People here are ant-war and are color blind and gender blind when it comes to criticizing those making war.
Well, most of us are. There are a few racists. Including Don.
“under way by this summer”? Or 2018? I’d say the fabled Raqqa attack was just the acceptable cover story for US military build up in Syria for the real purpose of assisting the Jihadists against the Syrian army.
IF the attack on Raqqa ever happens, I predict you’ll see large number of ISIS fighters being given a grace period to leave voluntarily so they can reinforce other fronts against the Syrian army. Only lunatics bent on martyrdom will remain, once they’re dealt with the US troops will use the position to attack Syrian forces..
You’re starting to come around to some basic truths. Stay away from conspiracty theories and go cautiously.
The problem is, does Syrians want more US troops in their country? I say-NO.
So General Townsend – who sent the battalion of Ameri-Isis to Ukraine to sit on the Donbass and Crimea border ? NATO ? – You dumb ass.
“Pentagon has made it a point of policy to no longer report specific troop levels” – Apparently government officials telling the truth is simply not an option, but they know that getting caught later for outright lies could cause them some trouble. If only the media allowed in the room would call them on this, but if those reporters actually did their jobs they would quickly be fired.
Sad we live in a country where only lower and middle class are held accountable.
I can only speak for myself but I am fed up paying for 25 frigging years of perpetual war! If we weren’t so interested in wars and oil, the people of the USA would have decent water to drink, pipes not rupturing all over the states, remember that Reagan was the one that closed all our mental health centers down. What have we gotten out of it other than police corruption and police brutality in the USA. Great expenditure of our tax dollars.
I say time to cut the funding off to the Federal government. If Trump DOESN’T have to pay taxes why should we? Either he show his taxes or everyone should refuse to pay their taxes. I know Americans ARE COWARDS and WOULD NEVER RISK Jail for their constitutional rights. Sad country and sad people in the USA. Country of thieves and cowards!
Trump stated himself he would not divulge how many troops he sends out of the country from now on due to his “National security” but yet he expects us to pay for them? We had phantom soldiers before and do not need a repeat, thank you very much.
You can understand your country’s march to empire in the ME but condemn it too. I always try to impress this on Americans when they say that Iraq was a waste of money.
You don’t know that Iraq was a waste of money. I’ve always ready with a good argument to say that it was a success from an economic POV.
America has been a country of gullible, compliant citizens and lying, thieving governments since its very beginning. The only characteristic which made it special and created an illusion of easy prosperity was its underdeveloped land mass. French masons made it all possible and then sold half the country to American masons to finance the Napoleonic Wars. Washington DC is laid out by a French mason, the Statue of LIberty was given by French masons, and the American Revolution was a masonic uprising supported by a small fraction of the actual population.
Everyday Trump and his failed DOD prove what failures they are. $68 billion on foreign wars and on and on it goes. Failed generals one after another thinking doing the same thing will get different results. Time for a house cleaning. If we don’t our country will not survive the morons in power. Over a year to take Raqqa…really how asinine. That jackass General should be fired and put out to retirement.
With oil consumption in your country at about 20 million barrels a day, and the cost per barrel left uncontrolled by the US reaching well over $100 a barrel, how lone would it take to make up that 68 billion dollars?