General: Fight Against ISIS Would Have to Stretch into Syria - East Idaho News
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General: Fight Against ISIS Would Have to Stretch into Syria

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GETTY 082214 syria?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1408718939228iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that any long-term strategy against Islamic State forces would have to include military action against the extremist group in Syria, where it first originated.

However, Dempsey did not reveal any plans by the White House to widen the fight against ISIS, which would certainly mean more air power and the possibility of ground troops.

Going into Syria, at this stage of the three-year-long conflict, would prove extremely problematic, given the high stakes involved in dealing with both Syrian government forces and their rebel enemies that include al Qaeda and ISIS.

Presently, the U.S. is trying to keep ISIS from advancing in Iraq through a series of airstrikes that have so far enabled Kurdish and Iraqi forces to retake the Mosul Dam while also protecting Americans deployed in the northern city of Erbil.

The policy of the White House up to now has been one of only containing ISIS. President Obama has not made clear what the objectives are in Iraq, nor has he spoken about stepping up airstrikes or arming Kurdish and Iraqi ground forces.


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