(Russ Read, The Daily Caller News Foundation) – The Department of Defense is mulling the idea of sending conventional ground forces to northern Syria in an effort to hasten the fight against the Islamic State, according to a CNN report Wednesday.
“It’s possible that you may see conventional forces hit the ground in Syria for some period of time,” a defense official told CNN. They added that any decision to use ground forces would ultimately lie with President Donald Trump.
Trump has reportedly ordered Secretary of Defense James Mattis to provide him with a plan to fight ISIS before the month is out.
U.S. forces in Syria have been limited to special operations teams thus far, numbering approximately 500. The Obama administration avoided sending conventional forces into Syria, and sent approximately 4,460 troops to help fight ISIS in Iraq.
Trump campaigned for the presidency promising to drastically escalate the fight against ISIS. On Jan. 29, he ordered his generals to give him a battle plan to destroy the terrorist group within 30 days.
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