WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Monday, US President Barack Obama announced sending additional 250 US troops to help train local forces in Syria to fight the terror group.
"Ultimately, the purpose — and the reason the president [Barack Obama] has given us the authority to increase our numbers there — our objective of course is to collapse ISIL’s [Daesh's] control over Raqqa," Carter said when pressed about the mission of the newly deployed US troops.
The recently deployed US military personnel in Syria will act as a hub to integrate European and Gulf special forces into the US-led coalition against Daesh, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said at a congressional hearing on Thursday.
"[The US military forces] will also serve as a hub to incorporate partner special forces from both European and Gulf partners that will augment our coalition’s counter-ISIL efforts there," Carter told the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
The Department of Defense canceled its first Syrian train-and-equip program at the end of 2015 after the $500 million initiative failed to produce more than five or six fighters. The failure of the program led the Pentagon to loosen requirements for Syrian fighters.
