Kerry: U.S. Troops ‘Will Not Have a Combat Mission’ in Syria or Iraq

‘I want to be clear: the U.S. troops that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission’

“From the last decade we know that a sustainable strategy is not U.S. ground forces – it is enabling local forces to do what they have to do for themselves and for their country. I want to be clear: the U.S. troops that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission. Instead, they will support Iraqi forces on the ground as they fight for their country against these terrorists.

And in Syria, the on the ground combat will be done by the moderate opposition, which serves as the current best counter-weight in Syria to extremists like ISIL. We know that as ISIL as it gets weaker, the moderate opposition will get stronger, and that will be critical in our efforts to bring about the political solution necessary to address the crisis in Syria once and for all. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so critical that Congress authorizes the opposition train and equip mission when it comes to the floor.”

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