Carter said in an interview with CNBC that there would be boots on the ground as part of the strategy to fight Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
"We're doing more, because we need to do more because we need to defeat ISIL [Daesh]. I'm confident we will, but I want to accelerate that process," Carter told CNBC.
He also said that the US' allies in the fight against Daesh "can do more," adding that the terrorist group needs to be defeated in the Iraqi Mosul and it's so-called capital in Syria's Raqqa.
"We need to destroy them in those two places, and I'd like to get on with that as soon as possible," Carter stressed.
The defense secretary added that the US-led coalition is trying to cut of communication between terrorists in "the Iraqi theater from the Syrian theater" and that Washington's aim is to mobilize local forces rather than fighting instead of them.
"We're looking for opportunities to do more, and there will be boots on the ground — I want to be clear about that — but it's a strategic question, whether you are enabling local forces to take and hold, rather than trying to substitute for them," Carter said.
"I don't think we or anybody else can substitute for them, but there's a lot we can do to enable them, including being on the ground with them," he added.
The United States is leading an international coalition of 65 countries which has been carrying out airstrikes on Daesh positions in Iraq and Syria since 2014, without a permission from Damascus or the UN Security Council. Daesh is a terrorist organization prohibited in numerous countries including the United States and Russia — in both Iraq and Syria.
Last October, US President Barack Obama reaffirmed that the United States would not send ground troops to Syria to join operations against the Daesh. The same month, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said that the Pentagon had not ruled out conducting ground attacks against Daesh.
Russia has been carrying out separate precision airstrikes against IS and al-Nusra Front in Syria since September 30, at the request of President Bashar Assad. Both groups are outlawed in Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly said that the Russian forces would provide support to the Syrian Army only by air, ruling out the possibility of Russian ground operations in the country.
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| 0 | Edit | Delete It seems to me there is a typographical error in this sentence:
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| 0 | Edit | Delete USA sanctions counrties that stand up to them-
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| 0 | Edit | Delete Go Carter Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete Need to kill the Petro dollar to prevent Fascist US to harm others Reply 
| 2 | Edit | Delete Thanks but no thanks. The Syrian Arab Army and their allies are doing a very good job of taking back captured land. US should concentrate on Iraq. Reply 
| 2 | Edit | Delete That's easy. Russia and China now only needs to arm up the Syrian Government and Iranians allies.
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| 1 | Edit | Delete Well of course. They have to perpetuate their wars and protect their newly stolen oil assets. Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete Their (U.S.) goal is to balkanize Syria... Reply 
| 2 | Edit | Delete There has been a lot of independent reporting that the US, among others, is responsible for the rise of these terrorists, and for supporting them. On the surface, the reason was a regime change in Syria because Assad, "The butcher," refused to cooperate with a pipeline scheme that was concocted by international oil and gas corporations. Beneath the surface looms another scheme called "Greater Israel," in which the tiny sliver of land Israel has already stolen will be expanded to its former Biblical extents and the maps that expose this have already been published, I'm not talking about any conspiracy theory, this is what they're trying to do.
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| 1 | Edit | Delete MsLiberty, Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete MsLiberty, Well summed up! Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete Can we get back Obama's Nobel Peace Prize now? Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete October, November, December.............JANUARY! :)
Show new comments (0)Andreas Koppa
"We're doing more, because we need to do more because we need to defeat ISIL [Daesh]. I'm confident we will, but I want to accelerate that process," Carter told CNBC.
It should read:
"We're doing more, because we need to do more because we need to DEFEND ISIL [Daesh]. I'm confident we will, but I want to accelerate that process," Carter told CNBC.
Funny statement :)
Alexey Yarmolenko
Combined, the Treasury Department, the Commerce Department and the State Department list embargoes against 31 countries or territories: Afghanistan, Balkans, Belarus, Myanmar (Burma), Central African Republic, China (PR), Côte d'Ivoire, Crimea Region of Ukraine, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Fiji, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, North Korea, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sri Lanka, North Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
qvasko 15
aggttc
surferket
allperils
I think we all expected the US to invade Syria at one point or another.
Mitach2002
MsLiberty
So, the United States created chaos with proxy operators in Syria, to destabilize and then overthrow the Assad government, a tactic they have been using since the 1950's in the Middle East. But, Enter Russia, by formal request, and with formal permission to conduct air-strike sorties in support of Syrian boots on the ground. Their success in this has been so good, that it's become alarming to the United States which must now admit, is undoing all of their nefarious plans. And what's more, the closer that Syria and Russia come to actually defeating Daesh or IS or ISIS or whatever you want to call them, the closer they come to exposing the truth in irrefutable terms the players behind the scenes. As I have said on here, Not only is Syria a military theatre of operations, it is a crime scene as well. The criminals who don't want to be exposed before the whole world are now spouting tough-talk rhetoric about attacking Daesh to destroy them in Syria and Iraq because now they "get it", the necessity to destroy the terrorist organizations.
Seems a bit late in coming, as much as it seems disingenuous as hell. If anyone believes in the virtue of Ashton Carter, and the mission he says he's on, then they have not been paying attention. Place all of the US statements made by all these US buffoons and blaggards end to end, and the reports of their actions and you see, they aren't interested in rescuing Syria from its dilemma, they still seek to oust Assad from power regardless what the Syrian People want and they will do as they please, with or without permission from Syria. They still have not learned their lesson. The American people told them way back in 2011 the President and the Pentagon did not have their permission to attack Syria, and start another war. But as you can see, what the American people have said has no bearing upon their decisions to do whatever the hell they please, and they have to get this done before the term of office of the President ends.
Seems to me, it's time for another Declaration of Independence from another unbearable tyranny that has reared its ugly head on American soil once again, and if this doesn't come from the People as it did before, Americans will be faced with another world war to fight, but this time, in their own states and cities.
Tony Rossiniin reply toMsLiberty(Show commentHide comment)
A truly great comment....one of the best that I have ever read on Sputnik comments section!
You nailed all the important points relating to this article!
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