The Pentagon says its presidentially-mandated plan to accelerate the defeat of Islamic State has been sent to the White House, and was set to be discussed at a Monday afternoon meeting of the National Security Council’s Principals Committee.
The Principals Committee consists of all members of the NSC, except for the president. It includes national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, as well White House Chief Strategist Stephen Brannon, who was recently added to the NSC by executive order.
While the Defense Department was the lead agency in drafting the new strategy, a Pentagon spokesman stressed that the plan goes well be beyond military options.
“It is more a framework for how we deal with this with all elements of national power. There are individual elements in there that will require some decisions,” said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, “but it’s not a ‘check the block, pick a, b or c,’… classic military plan.”
The Pentagon could not say when options would be presented to President Trump, referring those questions to the White House.
While the plan includes diplomatic and financial options to increase pressure on the Islamic State, it also includes decisions that could result in more U.S. troops being sent to Syria. But Davis said it’s focused on what combat capabilities might be needed to help local forces, rather than troop numbers.
“Whereupon it does deal with military, it’s built upon capabilities and specific effects that need to be generated,” Davis said
Translated, that means the U.S. is considering additional firepower and logistical support to aid Syrian Kurds and Arab fighters who are closing in on Raqqa, the Islamic State’s self-declared capital in Syria.
The Obama administration was preparing to give heavy weapons to the Syrian Kurds and provide the kind of artillery and ground support necessary to lay siege to the city, but left the decision to President Trump.
One hint that the Pentagon may be leaning toward using the Kurdish forces, over the strong objection of Turkey, is the military assessment that the Kurdish option would be the fastest, and the president is asking for plan for a rapid victory.
“We have noted in the past that the only force that is capable of retaking Raqqa quickly is the Syrian Arab Coalition, with the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces],” Davis said. “Any other answer would require a longer lead line.”
Turkey, A NATO ally, considered some of the Kurdish forces in that coalition enemies and terrorists, and is opposed to any plan to provide them with arms.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proposed his own plan that would liberate Raqqa, without the help of the Kurds.
