Small Wars Journal

Pentagon Prepares Tougher Options on Fighting Militants to Show Trump Team

Sat, 12/10/2016 - 9:24am

Pentagon Prepares Tougher Options on Fighting Militants to Show Trump Team by Gordon Lubold and Julian E. Barnes, Wall Street Journal

The Pentagon is drawing up proposals to offer to the Trump administration designed to intensify the U.S. campaign against Islamic State, including reducing White House oversight of operational decisions and moving some tactical authority back to the Pentagon, U.S. military and congressional officials say.

The options are being assembled in anticipation of demands by Donald Trump and his team, who have called for a tougher military campaign against the extremist group.

Military officials said they are considering presenting options on a number of fronts. They are likely to include easing restrictions on the precise number of American troops needed to carry out a particular mission, and relaxing rules that set the level of Washington review needed before an operation or airstrike may be conducted, officials said.

The potential recommendations aren’t likely to fundamentally change the U.S. strategy for fighting Islamic State, which relies on indigenous forces and relatively few American advisers. But they open prospects for the new administration to return more battlefield decision-making to the military, officials said.

Military officials familiar with the internal discussions at the Pentagon said officers aren’t taking advocacy positions on issues, but are prepared to answer the questions the new administration will have and make proposals as requested…

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