I have great respect and admiration for U.S. Sen. John McCain.
The Arizona Republican, though, needs to stop insisting that it’s time to putĀ more AmericanĀ “boots on the ground” in places where they don’t belong.
President Obama has ordered 250 U.S. Special Forces to Syria to “assist and advise” frontline troops who are battling the Islamic State.
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/277529-mccain-250-more-us-troops-in-syria-insufficient
McCain’s reaction was quite predictable. He called the deployment a “welcome” development but then said it is “insufficient” and is doomed to fail.
I happen to disagree with the failure prediction.
Having said that, I am troubled by the way the president has described the troops’ assignment. He said they aren’t going to be “combat” troops. I am forced to say, merely, “Huh?”
The troops will comprise mostly Army Special Forces … Green Berets and Rangers. These folks are trained to the hilt to, um, fight.
I strongly suspect that if, in the process of advising and assisting the Syrians, that these special operations troops find themselves engaging ISIL terrorists that they’ll know what to do.
The soldiers who are joining the fight against ISIL are going to deliver maximum damage to the terror organization.
On one hand, Sen. McCain should reel back his desire to send thousands more ground forces back into battle.
On the other hand, the president of the United States ought to quit soft-pedaling the threat of combat that awaits these forces.
