U.S. Forces Ready to Retake ISIS ‘Capital’ City of Raqqa

United States Defense Secretary Ash Carter released a statement on Wednesday that it would launch an all-out offensive to retake the city of Raqqa.

At a NATO meeting in Brussels, Carter told reporters that troops are now being mobilized for the siege of Raqqa that would take place in the next couple of weeks; he declined to give more specifics about the attack.

“The plan has us generating those forces in a matter of weeks … generating them and positioning them for the isolation of Raqqa,” Carter said.

Earlier this month, the U.S. backed the attack on Mosul. It has been “long planned” that the attack on Raqqa would be next, Carter added.

Ready to Attack

The assault preparation comes amid fears that the terror group would plot an attack somewhere in the world from inside of the city.

U.S. Commander in Iraq, Gen. Stephen Townsend, told reporters that it is “imperative to get isolation in place around Raqqa,” he added, “there are significant external operations attack planning” taking place inside the city.

“We actually aren’t sure how pressing it is, and that’s what’s worrying,” Gen. Townsend added, “We know they are up to something, and it’s an external plot. We don’t know exactly where; we don’t know exactly when.”

Secretary Ash Carter said the military has enough resources to launch the operation in both Mosul and Raqqa.

“We’re going to win this, and so if there’s anything we need to do to accelerate, I’m prepared to ask for it,” he said.

Secretary Carter and his NATO counterparts shared the same insight and committed that anti-ISIS operations would be its major focus.

The transatlantic alliance committed to increasing its participation and launch aerial surveillance flights in the Black Sea Region.

NATO has been training Iraqi military officers in Jordan as it avoids direct involvement in the anti-ISIS fight, leaving the decision to its members to be involved in the U.S. led coalition.

NATO’s commitment for Peace

NATO spokesperson Dylan White said on Tuesday, “We will improve the coalition’s overall air picture by providing surveillance and situational awareness, thereby making the skies safer,”

“This is a meaningful contribution to the (anti-ISIS) effort and a clear signal of NATO’s determination to help fight terrorism,” he added.

NATO showed its determination despite the recent criticism made by Presidential nominee Donald Trump.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, “NATO has played a key role, has been in a front line in a fight against terrorism for many, many years with our operation in Afghanistan, training Iraqi officers supporting Tunisia, Jordan and many other ways.”
“As I stated many times, the adaptation of NATO — where you focus more on intelligence, where you step up of our efforts to fight terrorism, where we increase defense spending — is not related to (the) US election campaign,” he added.

Other than anti-ISIS operations in Syria and Iraq, NATO also focuses on Russia’s recent aggression in Eastern Europe.

Secretary Carter said that the U.S. will deploy rotations of U.S.-based armored brigade combat teams to Europe early next year to strengthen deterrence in the region

 

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