The Pentagon Outlines Its Plans (And Needs) To Confront The Islamic State

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel listens to a question during a press conference at the Pentagon September 26, 2014. Hagel said defeating the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, will require a long-term commitment by the U.S. and its allies on many fronts, and will not be achieved by air strikes alone. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sean Hurt

Fight Against Islamic State: What Pentagon Officials Say Are Challenges Ahead -- Christian Science Monitor

Airstrikes alone will not be enough, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday. The fight in Syria against the Islamic State promises to be particularly complex, with a need for as many as 15,000 trained rebel fighters.

Washington — It will take between 12,000 to 15,000 trained fighters with the moderate rebel forces to begin to recapture territory lost to the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, America’s top military officer warned Friday.

The projection came in a Pentagon press conference that gave an update on the campaign against IS, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL, in both Iraq and Syria.

Not all the news was as sobering, however. Just minutes after the estimate of necessary fighters was put forward, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel took a call from his counterpart, British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon, who phoned with the news that the British Parliament had just voted 524 to 43 to join the air campaign in Iraq.

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More News On Today's Pentagon Briefing On What The Pentagon Is Planning (And Needing) To Confront The Islamic State

Hagel: Defeating ISIL is long-term endeavor -- US Department of Defense
Hagel: Long-term Commitment Required For Defeating ISIL -- RTT News
Anti-ISIL Campaign Will Take Time, Dempsey Says -- US Department of Defense
U.S. combat role in Iraq not off table, Gen. Dempsey says -- News Observer/McClatchy News
Dempsey: Airpower Not Enough, But No US Ground Forces Now -- Military.com
Dempsey: Up to 15,000 Syrian rebels required to dislodge Islamic State militants -- Stars and Stripes
Up to 15,000 Syrian rebels needed to retake eastern Syria -U.S. military -- Reuters
Pentagon ready to train up to 15,000 Syrian rebels -- RT
U.S. general on training Syrian rebels: ‘We have to do it right, not fast’ -- Washington Post
U.S. Considers a No-Fly Zone to Protect Civilians From Airstrikes by Syria -- New York Times
US Training Teams Arrive in Saudi Arabia -- VOA