With new steps being taken by the Trump administration, the Pentagon is receiving the flexibility it needs to fight ISIS
In a move that mirrors the fight in Mosul, Iraq, the US Marine Corps has deployed several hundred combat troops to Syria. With them, the Marines bring heavy artillery as they prepare for the fight to push ISIS out of its headquarters, Raqqa, a Pentagon spokesman has confirmed.
Using the battle for Mosul in Iraq as a model, US officials say the fight for Raqqa will look much the same. In the fight for Mosul, the US set up bases outside the battle zone to use as supply hubs and locations for heavy artillery. Mirroring that plan, Marines in Syria are pre-positioning howitzers to be ready to assist local Syrian forces.
With the deployment of Marines, what we may be seeing unfold before us is a new and expanded strategy to fight ISIS. Soon after President Trump took office, he directed the Pentagon to come up with a plan to defeat the terrorist organization once and for all. Pentagon leaders sent a new plan to defeat ISIS to the White House at the end of February.
The new plan outlined a strategy that would likely increase US troop involvement in Syria to better advise and assist US-backed Syrian fighters battling for Raqqa. The Pentagon has opened the door for a series of options for the fight in Syria. These options include increased artillery support, Apache helicopters, and training.
Under the Obama administration, the Pentagon was hampered by continuous micromanaging of the efforts to fight ISIS. This deployment of Marines and equipment may be a good indication the new administration in the White House is giving the Pentagon greater flexibility to make routine combat decisions in the fight against ISIS.
The decision to send troops to Syria is also bolstered by the deployment of close to 1000 troops to Kuwait. The troops in Kuwait would be a stand-by force should they be needed to join other assets in the region. In addition to the force in Kuwait, the Pentagon also has troops in the city of Manbij, Syria. This force is said to be on a “Reassure and Deter” operation and gives US commanders flexibility in the fight. The troops in Manbij also make a point to be visible by flying American flags and moving in large, heavily armored vehicles, the Pentagon said.
Additionally, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an umbrella group of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has become a critical ground asset in the battle against ISIS. The US has supported that effort with special operations forces that are training and assisting SDF soldiers.
The movement of US forces into the Syrian theater of action indicates the shift in policy by the Trump administration over the strategy of the Obama White House. The new policy gives the Pentagon more direct control in how they fight this threat. The pre-positioning of US troops closer to the fight, so they can be quickly put into play where and when needed is only one part of the effort to destroy ISIS.
This leeway and control of actions by the Pentagon without the second guessing by Washington, as was a constant issue with the Obama administration, is exactly what commanders say they have needed to systemcatically destroy ISIS.
Jon Harris is an OpsLens contributor and former Army NCO, civilian law enforcement officer, and defense contractor with over 30 years in the law enforcement community. He holds a B.S. in Government and Politics and an M.S. in Criminal Justice.
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