US special operation teams have already “established contact” with new forces in the battle against ISIS in Syria and have created new lines of communication with local partners to help bolster the fight, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said. The Pentagon in late October said it would deploy small special operations teams to the fight, and Carter said on Wednesday that while he could not give specifics, these teams are on the ground and have started their work. “These operators have helped focus the efforts of the local, capable forces against key ISIL vulnerabilities, including their lines of communication,” Carter said Wednesday at Fort Campbell, Ky. “They are generating new insights that we turn into new targets, new strikes, and new opportunities. In short, they are generating a virtuous cycle of action.” (See also Airmen Integral Part of Expeditionary Targeting Force)
The U.S. continued to move a significant amount of airpower toward the Middle East in recent days as talks to forge a nuclear deal with Iran hung in the balance. Flight tracking data indicate there was unusually heavy movement of dozens of fighter jets and other assets that might be…
