Pentagon To Increase Spending In Its War Against The Islamic State

U.S. coalition warplanes in Syrian airspace after conducting air strikes against ISIS militants. (File photo: Reuters)

Reuters: Exclusive: Pentagon to hike spending request to fund fight versus Islamic State

President Barack Obama's administration will seek a significant increase in funding for the fight against Islamic State as part of its 2017 defense budget request, U.S. officials say, in another possible sign of U.S. efforts to intensify the campaign.

The fiscal year 2017 Pentagon budget will call for more than $7 billion for the fight against Islamic State, a roughly 35 percent increase compared with the previous year's request to Congress, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is due to disclose his spending priorities for the $583 billion 2017 defense budget on Tuesday in an address to the Economic Club of Washington. The White House plans to release Obama's full budget proposal for fiscal 2017, which begins Oct. 1, on Feb. 9.

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WNU Editor: I guess this is an admission that the current strategy is not working, and that more money is now needed. I also expect Congress to approve this request ASAP.