US Boots on the ground in Syria...

[kmoose]

CNN Breaking News reporting that President Obama is expected to announce the deployment of US Special Forces troops to Northern Syria, later today...

 

[BGIF]

According to Barbara Starr CNN US is targeting Raqqa, the J.V.'s capital. Raqqa ifs in the north. The Russians are involved in the western part of Syria.

U.S. special forces will "advise and assist" rebels. Sounds like the same mission President Kennedy undertook some 50 years ago.

President Obama to address the move publicly later today.

 

[Rizzophil]

This is a disaster already. We are publicly telling everyone we are sending 20-30 armed 'advisors' only.

What happens if they get caught? Killed? How would you like to be one of the 30 people knowing backup is slim and none.

 

[kmoose]

This is a disaster already. We are publicly telling everyone we are sending 20-30 armed 'advisors' only.

What happens if they get caught? Killed? How would you like to be one of the 30 people knowing backup is slim and none.

There has been a "Quick Reaction Force" of special operations capable Army units in Jordan for many years now. It's not a Marine Expeditionary Unit, but it beats "you're on your own".

 

[BGIF]

U.S. to send limited number of special forces to Syria - CNNPolitics.com

 

[mgriff]

I would not be surprised if we already had troops in Syria. Our SF operates where it will at all times, and they may just be acknowledging the fact that we are stepping up our presence.

I have no more worries for them that it's announced. Teams can bring some serious firepower to bear as they have every resource the military can muster at their disposal. There is a QRF but they generally demand a Ranger Bat be tasked with QRF. So I wouldn't be surprised if the bat boys are deployed somewhere close, most likely Iraq, so they can execute the mission. It's certainly dangerous that they are there but having it announced, like I said above, is most likely just confirming a reality.

 

[BGIF]

This is a disaster already. We are publicly telling everyone we are sending 20-30 armed 'advisors' only.

What happens if they get caught? Killed? How would you like to be one of the 30 people knowing backup is slim and none.

Special Forces are usually used where the backup is slim to none. They train for this.

But in this case they have 5,000 tenacious Kurds and the 4 or 5 Syrians we spent half a billion training.

 

[BGIF]

I would not be surprised if we already had troops in Syria. Our SF operates where it will at all times, and they may just be acknowledging the fact that we are stepping up our presence.

I have no more worries for them that it's announced. Teams can bring some serious firepower to bear as they have every resource the military can muster at their disposal. There is a QRF but they generally demand a Ranger Bat be tasked with QRF. So I wouldn't be surprised if the bat boys are deployed somewhere close, most likely Iraq, so they can execute the mission. It's certainly dangerous that they are there but having it announced, like I said above, is most likely just confirming a reality.

^

 

[Voltaire]

"The United States will be placing special operations forces into Syria 6 months ago."

- White House Press Release, first draft

 

[Bluto]

With the recent events in Turkey I am surprised they have not called on NATO to step in.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Special Forces are usually used where the backup is slim to none. They train for this.

But in this case they have 5,000 tenacious Kurds and the 4 or 5 Syrians we spent half a billion training.

I'd put those Kurds up against just about anyone else in the region.

 

[BGIF]

No more than 50 troops to be deployed per CNN reading WH press release.

USAF sending A-10's and F-16's to Incilik Air Base in Turkey.

 

[notredomer23]

realistically what's the good in just sending 50? While I would take 50 of our special forces in a fight against up to 1,000 ISIS fighters, if you're gonna send some troops why not just send 5,000 and end this faux caliphate's territorial claims in a month.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

realistically what's the good in just sending 50?

The hawks in charge of our foreign policy are apparently compelled to meddle in that region at all times. More fuel for the dumpster fire.

While I would take 50 of our special forces in a fight against up to 1,000 ISIS fighters, if you're gonna send some troops why not just send 5,000 and end this faux caliphate's territorial claims in a month.

Were that possible, rest assured that it would have been done by now. There's no shortage of advocates for aggression within the Beltway.

 

[wizards8507]

The hawks in charge of our foreign policy are apparently compelled to meddle in that region at all times. More fuel for the dumpster fire.

Were that possible, rest assured that it would have been done by now. There's no shortage of advocates for aggression within the Beltway.

Yup. It's a fascinating conundrum for the GOP presidential candidates. The intellectually deficient wing of the Republican base (which I'm learning is most of it) love to bomb, invade, meddle, and kill in the name of 'Merica, but they also instinctively hate everything Obama does.

 

[Cackalacky]

The hawks in charge of our foreign policy are apparently compelled to meddle in that region at all times. More fuel for the dumpster fire.



Were that possible, rest assured that it would have been done by now. There's no shortage of advocates for aggression within the Beltway.

US Foreign Policy with the ME:

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Yup. It's a fascinating conundrum for the GOP presidential candidates. The intellectually deficient wing of the Republican base (which I'm learning is most of it) love to bomb, invade, meddle, and kill in the name of 'Merica, but they also instinctively hate everything Obama does.

Obama and Clinton are very vulnerable to attack on their foreign policy records, but the GOP can't take advantage of that, since they can't credibly argue that they would have done anything differently.

 

[wizards8507]

Obama and Clinton are very vulnerable to attack on their foreign policy records, but the GOP can't take advantage of that, since they can't credibly argue that they would have done anything differently.

One of them could. But alas, he wallows at 3% support.

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

This could get ugly. I'm a former member of an Army Special Forces Unit, 5th group, Third Battalion. When things go right, we hàve an awesome track record, but things can go terribly wrong too. I can assure you that my former brothers have the tools needed to get the job done. We usually have an Air Force TACP that can call in CAS as needed. That is a very undervalued asset that SF brings. SF is self efficient but also our sister services bring the much needed firepower when needed. We work hard at communicating with each other. Early on the war on terror we had some mishaps, but alot of those have since been irorend out. My biggest fear is that we get embellished into something we don't need to be involved in. The only thing that makes sense in this case is for us to be involved with making sure the region doesn't deesculate further.a deesculated Middle East is a bad thing for us period.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

My biggest fear is that we get embellished into something we don't need to be involved in..

We're supporting a faction-- the "Free Syrian Army"-- that cannot possibly win. What could go wrong? I mean, the word "Free" is right there in its name.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Sending in small numbers means no straight up fights but attempts to surgical remove leadership and critical communications points. These things are "cut off the head" types of engagements. And if well done should have a lot less "collateral damages."

 

[Corry]

How they hell did Obama win the Nobel Peace prize?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

How they hell did Obama win the Nobel Peace prize?

Hope and change, bro. Pay no mind to those flying death robots behind the curtain.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Two things:

1. Delta is part of the US Special Forces, so I'm not sure why you would refer to sending Special Forces in one part of it, and then refer to "other forces" (when the other force you are talking about is part of Special Forces).

2. Seals do all kinds of covert missions, almost every day, that you never hear about.

I think his point was that, for our "unofficial" operations in places like Somalia, we're more likely to send Delta and DEVGRU (Seal Team 6) instead of lower level SEAL or Ranger teams.

 

[kmoose]

I think his point was that, for our "unofficial" operations in places like Somalia, we're more likely to send Delta and DEVGRU (Seal Team 6) instead of lower level SEAL or Ranger teams.

That shows a pretty big ignorance of how Spec Ops is configured. Different Seal Teams specialize in different circumstances. If you are looking to infiltrate a building and rescue a hostage or take a prisoner, then you would utilize Seal Team 6. If you are looking to recapture a ship taken over by pirates, you would use a different Team. If you want to blow up a ship at sea without anyone seeing you? Yet another Team. You want to land on a beach and clear obstacles for an amphibious landing? Yet another Team. But they all have one or two things in common: they operate with a minimum number of personnel, and the average person will never know it was them unless someone wants them to know.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

That shows a pretty big ignorance of how Spec Ops is configured. Different Seal Teams specialize in different circumstances. If you are looking to infiltrate a building and rescue a hostage or take a prisoner, then you would utilize Seal Team 6. If you are looking to recapture a ship taken over by pirates, you would use a different Team. If you want to blow up a ship at sea without anyone seeing you? Yet another Team. You want to land on a beach and clear obstacles for an amphibious landing? Yet another Team. But they all have one or two things in common: they operate with a minimum number of personnel, and the average person will never know it was them unless someone wants them to know.

JSOC org chart:

Delta and DEVGRU are both directly under JSOC. All other SEAL teams are under Naval Special Warfare. You're wrong, moose.

 

[Old Man Mike]

..... or is this just what they WANT you to believe?

 

[yankeeND]

The word "privy" comes to mind here when talking about military operations. There are always going to be things going on that we are not aware of. Whether that is happening because of the Patriot Act or other undisclosed principles of national security I don't know. Understanding the process of using force and sending troops is one thing, but the use of special forces or SEALS is another thing entirely. Look no further than his the got a Bin Laden. They can't announce to the world everything they are going to do.

 

[kmoose]

JSOC org chart:

Delta and DEVGRU are both directly under JSOC. All other SEAL teams are under Naval Special Warfare. You're wrong, moose.

All that chart shows is who they report to. And they ALL report to SOC. Seal Teams have specific missions that they are specialists at performing. They ALL have basic Spec Ops training, and ALL are bad-@ss mofos. But if you had a tanker taken over by terrorists in the Gulf, and you wanted to retake it; there is a specific Seal Team that specializes in that. Who they report to has no bearing on that.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

That shows a pretty big ignorance of how Spec Ops is configured. Different Seal Teams specialize in different circumstances. If you are looking to infiltrate a building and rescue a hostage or take a prisoner, then you would utilize Seal Team 6. If you are looking to recapture a ship taken over by pirates, you would use a different Team. If you want to blow up a ship at sea without anyone seeing you? Yet another Team. You want to land on a beach and clear obstacles for an amphibious landing? Yet another Team. But they all have one or two things in common: they operate with a minimum number of personnel, and the average person will never know it was them unless someone wants them to know.

That's DEVGRU as well.