WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States is ready to change tactics in the fight against the Islamic State terrorists that would include more ground engagement, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Thursday.
“We’re prepared to change the rules of engagement,” Carter said in an interview that aired on MSNBC. “The president [Barack Obama] has indicated he's prepared to do more, including on the ground.”
A US-led coalition comprising more than 60 states has been conducting airstrikes on ISIL positions in Iraq and Syria since 2014. The operation in Syria is carried out without the approval of the United Nations or the Syrian government.
On Monday, President Obama ruled out putting boots on the ground in Syria as part of an operation against ISIL. He argued that US military intervention would deliver only temporary results.