U.S. To Deploy More Special Forces To Combat The Islamic State

ABC News: Carter: U.S. Special Operations Forces Expanding in Iraq

Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress on Tuesday that the U.S. would establish a special operations "targeting force" in Iraq as part of the intensified military effort to fight ISIS.

The special operations force would conduct raids, could free hostages held by ISIS, gather intelligence and capture ISIS leaders.

It is part of the broader role for U.S. special operations forces that Carter said would occur in the wake of the raid in September where U.S. special operations forces helped free 70 ISIS hostages in northern Iraq. That same raid resulted in the death of Master Sergeant Joshua L. Wheeler, the first American fatality from combat in Iraq since the return of U.S. forces to that country in mid-2014.

More News On The White House Decision To Deploy More Special Forces To Combat The Islamic State

U.S. deploying special force to boost fight against Islamic State -- Reuters
Defense Chief: US Expanding Special Operations Force in Iraq -- AP
'Specialized' US troops to fight IS in Iraq: defense chief -- AFP
Carter: More special forces going to Iraq -- USA Today
Defense Secretary Carter: Special Ops Force to Iraq to Fight ISIS -- NBC
Carter: More US expeditionary forces headed to Iraq -- Stars and Stripes
US 'to deploy special force' to Iraq to fight IS -- BBC
US 'targeting force' will conduct raids in Iraq and Syria, says DOD chief -- The Hill
US deploys special forces to boost fight against ISIS, poised to carry out unilateral ops into Syria -- RT
Support Grows for U.S. Commando Raids to Fight Islamic State -- Bloomberg