More American military personnel are heading to Iraq and Syria. The administration continues its slow progression to renewed ground combat.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter informed Congress that a "specialized expeditionary targeting force" would be sent to Iraq on top of the 3,500 personnel already there, with the authority to operate in Syria too. This mix of Special Forces "will over time be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence, and capture ISIL [Islamic State] leaders," explained Carter. Where greater opportunities appear to work with local forces, he added, "We are prepared to expand it."
Unfortunately, no matter how effective these forces, they won't turn around a 16-month deadlock. The more men and materiel the president commits to "win," whatever that means, the more he will have to introduce after the failure of every successive escalation. The president's promise not to commit "boots on the ground" already was trampled underfoot in October, when a Delta Force soldier was killed while accompanying Kurdish forces on a raid in Iraq.