WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – During the hearing, Senator John McCain said the United States could send 10,000 ground troops in a 100,000 international contingent to liberate the Iraqi cities of Raqqa and Mosul from Daesh.
"With respect to the option of a 9 to 1 ratio of international forces to US forces, that would be a highly desirable circumstance to be in," Carter stated. "I have no indication from those countries despite my a lot of effort of willingness to do that."
The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations has been carrying out airstrikes against Daesh in Syria and Iraq since summer 2014.