US special forces traveling ‘very soon’ to Syria to fight Islamic State

www.rawstory.com...

Dozens of US special operations forces will arrive in Syria “very soon,” as promised by President Barack Obama’s administration, a senior official said Sunday.

The troops will have the task of organizing local forces battling the self-proclaimed Islamic State in northern Syria, according to special envoy Brett McGurk.

In late October, Obama authorized no more than 50 special operations forces to deploy to northern Syria in a non-combatant, advisory role to help coordinate local ground troops and anti-IS coalition efforts.

Can someone please tell me when "advisers" in a war torn land has ever worked out favorably for the US military?

All I can remember is an escalating conflict leading to more war and a protected involvement. Is the US ready for another war?

Non-combatant...mhhmmm. Sure. Betcha CIA "advisors" have been there forever. Question is, who are they advising here?

If this isn't the most seriously messed up clusterflock ever, I don't know what is. I really am beginning to feel like a total idiot or at the very least like there's a tangle of snakes inside my head trying to follow all this.


Honestly? I don't know why anyone even attempts to write about this anymore. Over 99% of it just flat out isn't true.

Dozens? As in 4 dozen because we were told there would be 50 total unless someone changed his mind since then.

a reply to: olaru12

I just ask God to protect those American soldiers and bring them back alive.

So basically they are going to send over the green berets (force multipliers) to give new toys to and train the next terrorist organization if and when ISIF is defeated.

History continues to repeat itself.

What a Clusterphuck...

I wouldn't send one American over to the ME.

Let Russia burn it down.

We have no leadership and and our President has a completely empty scrotum.

originally posted by: olaru12
Can someone please tell me when "advisers" in a war torn land has ever worked out favorably for the US military?

All I can remember is an escalating conflict leading to more war and a protected involvement. Is the US ready for another war?

While I don't expect this to go well, I don't wish to unduly bash the SF either, so I will point to El Salvador, Columbia (ongoing still,) and their seeking out and working with the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan as effective and (at least in the short term - and in some cases to this day arguably) militarily favorable examples of SF advising/training of host state forces.

That said... that should not be construed to mean I agree with this action, and I don't disagree with your larger point at all personally.

Peace.

a reply to: olaru12

Well I think that it might be a good idea to go to war against ISIS and start patching up the Middle East. I think that leaving the Syrian government intact would promote regional stability. Something has to be done about Iraq as well.

a reply to: olaru12

I'm sure it will turn out OK... it worked wonders at the beginning of the Vietnam war.

Didn't they already spend $500 million dollars on this project?

And as soon as the "usa-friendly" faction enters the conflict, they trade all of their new weapons to Daesh in exchange for not being killed.

-dex

a reply to: olaru12

My mind hurts trying to comprehend the sense in all this.

Why send Advisers when there is really no political resolution in sight over resolving the conflict in Syria. The only thing that's surely going to do is escalate the confrontation between Assad's forces and Western backed rebels.

Reinforcements for a failed experiment

a reply to: InnerPeace2012

Maybe they'll be there to advise Isis on how to avoid Russian air strikes
Got
Nothin

training them before never worked it turned round and bit you,why will this be any different


>>bangs head against wall

originally posted by: NowWhat
a reply to: InnerPeace2012

Maybe they'll be there to advise Isis on how to avoid Russian air strikes
Got
Nothin

Perhaps a picture best puts things in perspective

originally posted by: ketsuko
Dozens? As in 4 dozen because we were told there would be 50 total unless someone changed his mind since then.

Ahh, see? Already the reported numbers are changing, at the source. Heard this muzak before in a little place called Vietnam.

Thats how they play us. First they say, no boots on ground, then just "some" advisors, then "special" forces, then… by then it is old news, and everyone forgets there was no mandate to invade in the first place.

originally posted by: InnerPeace2012
a reply to: olaru12

My mind hurts trying to comprehend the sense in all this.

Why send Advisers when there is really no political resolution in sight over resolving the conflict in Syria. The only thing that's surely going to do is escalate the confrontation between Assad's forces and Western backed rebels.

Reinforcements for a failed experiment

Actually InnerPeace, sending US personnel to act as human shields for ISIS makes a lot of tactical sense right now. The Russians have only really been decimating the 21 flavor Insurgency for a few weeks. Less Russian bombs will be falling on anti Syrian forces once they arrive.

This is a war of attrition between the East and West, the current battle zone is Syria.

One thing I can't understand is US and friends have been bombing ISIS for more than a year and the bad guys are still standing tough. Seems US is pretty choosy in picking the targets.

Heck even Iraq capitulated in few days in 2003.

Guess once Russians are done with FSA then they will turn attention to ISIS and then real bombing will start.

originally posted by: victor7
One thing I can't understand is US and friends have been bombing ISIS for more than a year and the bad guys are still standing tough. Seems US is pretty choosy in picking the targets.

Heck even Iraq capitulated in few days in 2003.

Guess once Russians are done with FSA then they will turn attention to ISIS and then real bombing will start.

Yeah, and I also seem to remember us shutting down the bank accounts and the flow of money to the Taliban just a mere few days after 9/11.

But, uh, not this time. This time we can't do anything it seems, can't even drop a bomb on them. They're so wiley.

a reply to: intrptr

No, I don't forget, but so many people are so ignorant of the powers and how they should be delegated that they are apparently completely fine with Obama waging "not-war" on a whim as he deems it necessary.

I'm completely sure that Congress has no political will to challenge him on his usurpation of authority. If they had, they would have done this way back when he lead from behind on Libya.

originally posted by: intrptr
Thats how they play us. First they say, no boots on ground, then just "some" advisors, then "special" forces, then… by then it is old news, and everyone forgets there was no mandate to invade in the first place.

"Military advisors" are always SF. That's one of their primary missions. Teaching.

If you've got "civilian advisors", it's SOG/SAD.