Posted on 08/02/2015 3:17:31 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
President Barack Obama has authorized the use of air power to defend a new U.S.-backed fighting force in Syria should it come under attack from Syrian government forces or other groups, officials said, in a move that could increase the risk of the U.S. coming into direct conflict with the Assad regime.
The decision ends a months’ long debate over the role the U.S. military should play in supporting its few allies on the battlefield and comes as the U.S. and Turkey discussed joint operations to clear a zone along the Turkish-Syrian border of Islamic State militants. Turkish officials wanted assurances from the U.S. that it would be serious about defending allied ground forces there.
Even though the new rules allow Pentagon strikes to defend the new force against the Assad regime, U.S. military officials played down the chances of a direct conflict between the governments, at least in the near term, since the newly-trained force has committed to fighting Islamic State, not the regime, and won’t be fielded in areas the regime controls.
The Pentagon has struggled to recruit and vet rebels for the new train-and-equip program, which it launched last year, in part because the U.S. is asking them to fight Islamic State instead of the Assad regime. Most rebels see the regime as their main enemy. Fewer than 60 rebels have completed the Pentagon training program and re-entered the fight so far, casting doubt on the effort.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
I thought that was how it worked down your way. Doesn't Congress have to approve things like this?
TRANSLATION.....
U.S. AIR POWER TO DEFEND ISIS (AKA THE FREE SYRIAN FORCES AKA AL QAEDA AKA THE MUJAHIDEEN)
I don’t understand how any U.S. pilot could defend these Demons after September 11th, 2001, that shot at and killed their fellow service brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and Iraq?
And in the process he will be protecting ISIS. Just like he wanted all along.
P.S. When has being wrong ever stopped a liberal?
So is an Indonesian citizen as POTUS!
So will we paint that moslem profession of faith on the side of our planes? Flying for ISIS and all.
So, when do our near obsolete F-18s declare war om the Israeli Air Force?
Code Pinko where are the protests!!!
My thinking may not be in vogue in Obama and some GOP establishment circles ....but Ghadafi, Hussein, and Assad kept the terrorist tribes of ISIS and Al Queada and African immigration to Europe under control, and it didn’t cost us USA military lives or USA taxpayer dollars.
But then lack of USA involvement would not have made all of Bush’s and Obama’s cronies, and Sen Feinstein’s husband very rich among many others. It’s time to leave the ME to those who live there. We have our own set of problems and trillions in debt that need repaid.
What a frickin mess. Another Libya in the making thanks to John McCain.
Sounds like a good plan if you want to end up fighting the Russians.
ISIS Spring!!!!
It appears the goal of US policy there is to moderate the conflict so that no side has a clear advantage. The US chooses later who to hand Syria over to.
Obama is playing for who?
So not only has he provided training to ISIS, he’s now providing them air support.
Nothing could go wrong here...
Bflr
Active Duty ping.
And Then I put back on my old uniform and join up with the hundreds of thousands, many still on active duty, for Civil War II or Revolutionary War 2.
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