The Obama administration is preparing to broaden its military campaign against Daesh by increasing the number of Special Operations forces who advise Syrian rebels, and it is also considering the addition of Army attack helicopters to the fight against militants in Iraq, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

The goal would be to accelerate what United States officials said on Saturday was momentum behind Iraqi security forces and American-backed rebels in Syria fighting the terrorist organization.

Inside Syria, the administration is prepared to add dozens of Special Operations forces to the 50 who now advise and assist Syrian rebels fighting Daesh, say three Defense Department and military officials. The additional trainers, who could total as many as 200, would be able to expand their instruction to Syrian Arab fighters, who are likely to play a pivotal role in capturing Raqqa, Daesh's de facto capital in Syria, the officials said.

The administration’s plans for Iraq are more complicated.

Pentagon officials would like to increase efforts to advise and train Iraqi security forces for the anticipated assault on Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and Daesh’s main stronghold in the country. The plan calls for shifting trainers who are already in the country to positions closer to Mosul, the officials said. They would also like to deploy Apache helicopter gunships — which are already in Iraq, but used only to protect American personnel — and order them to participate in the battle for Mosul.

Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter made clear on Saturday that the administration will increase its military efforts to defeat Daesh, but he did not discuss specifics.

“You should expect us, to see us, doing more,” he said at a news conference at the Al Dhafra air base as he opened travels in the Middle East. “It will be consistent with the same approach, but it’ll be across all the domains, right up to cyber.”

Carter described the administration’s approach as one that will use members of the American armed services to help accelerate the military campaign against the Islamic State, but will not replace Iraqi security forces or Syrian rebels.

Carter’s comments come at a time when Iraqi militias and military forces have been making notable progress on the battlefield against Daesh, including seizing parts of Hit, a city in Anbar Province, this month.
Source : MENA