“The changes we’re pursuing can be described by what I call the ‘three R’s’ — Raqqa, Ramadi and Raids,” Carter testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“Carter said “Raqqa” represents the plans of U.S.-led coalition against ISIS to support moderate Syrian forces to go after Raqqa — the terrorist group’s stronghold and administrative capital in Syria.“
The secretary also said he hopes to pursue the new approach of equipping what he called the “Syrian Arab Coalition”, which consists of about a dozen groups, versus the halted Pentagon program to train and equip a force of 15,000 rebels over three years.
“While the old approach was to train and equip completely new forces outside of Syria before sending them into the fight, the new approach is to work with vetted leaders of groups that are already fighting ISIL and provide equipment and some training to them and support their operations with airpower,” he said.
He also said the coalition expects to intensify its air campaign with additional U.S. and coalition aircraft and to target ISIS with a higher and heavier rate of strikes.
““This will include more strikes against ISIL high-value targets as our intelligence improves and also its oil enterprise, which is a critical pillar of ISIL’s financial infrastructure,” Carter said.“
Second, Carter said “Ramadi” represents an example of cooperation with Iraqi forces and Sunni tribes to retake and hold ground from ISIS.
“As we see more progress toward assembling capable and motivated Iraqi forces under Baghdad’s control and including Sunni elements, we are willing to continue providing more enabling capabilities and fire support to help our Iraqi partners succeed,” Carter said.
Carter said the third “R” — raids — represents a new willingness to conduct more raids to support partners or unilaterally.
“We won’t hold back from supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL, or conducting such missions directly, whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground,” he said.
“Carter also pushed back against the idea that the U.S. and Russia were cooperating in Syria.“
Although the two sides signed a document to avoid mid-air collisions over Syria, it does not represent cooperation and would not affect U.S. airstrikes against ISIS, he said.
“We won’t hold back from supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL, or conducting such missions directly whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground,” Carter told the Senate Armed Services committee.
Carter’s announcement comes following the news that Sergeant Joshua Wheeler of the Delta Force was killed during a hostage rescue raid in northern Iraq last week. A number of Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL) militants were killed in the operation, which recovered 69 captives the Pentagon says were in danger of imminent execution.
As of Monday, three days had passed without any airstrikes in Syria by the US-led coalition, AFP reported. In that period, Russian jets flew 164 sorties, hitting 285 targets, reported the Russian Ministry of Defense.
READ MORE: RT EXCLUSIVE: Crew reports from frontline town near Damascus
The Kremlin does not consider Carter’s statement on possible US ground operations in Syria a proper announcement, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“We need to figure out the details of what was meant,” Peskov told reporters.
Carter attempted to dodge the lawmakers’ insistence that the US ought to defend the Syrian rebels who has been trained and equipped both by the Pentagon and the CIA:
McCain: Russian aircraft are bombing moderate Syrian forces in Syria while we have deconflicted. Do you believe we should be protecting those young people?
Carter: We have an obligation to protect – we stated that.
McCain: Are we protecting them?
Carter: They have not come under attack by either Assad or Russian forces.
McCain: I’m asking about moderate Syrian forces, someone that we train and equip, moderate Syrian forces that are now being bombed by Russia-
Carter: With respect to the title 10 forces – they have not come under attack…
McCain: None of the moderate forces that some of whom we trained become under attack by Russia from the air? It’s fascinating.
When Carter carefully avoided pledging aid to those forces backed by the CIA and several US allies in the region in their fight against the government in Damascus, McCain accused him of making a “distinction without a difference.”
“These are American-supported and coalition-supported men who are being slaughtered,” McCain said.
The Defense Secretary eventually fended off further questions about the CIA-backed rebels by saying that ought to be a matter for a closed session.
While the US military had the capability to establish both the safe areas and a no-fly zone, “the challenges are political, legal, and a diversion of resources” from fighting IS, Gen. Dunford said.
Carter said the safe zones would be contested by IS and al-Nusra – an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria – and would require ground troops to defend. “We do not have a concept of operations for a no-fly zone that we’re prepared to recommend,” the Defense Secretary added.
The confusion of priorities has led Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to remark that the US-led coalition “has no common understanding who poses a terrorist threat in Syria.”
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