While many are looking at other things, the "US sends Marines to support Raqqa assault"

[still_one]

The US has sent several hundred Marines to Syria to support an allied local force aiming to capture the so-called Islamic State (IS) stronghold of Raqqa.

They reportedly arrived in the past few days to establish an outpost from which they will be able to fire artillery at IS positions some 32km (20 miles) away.

US special forces are already on the ground, advising the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance.
The alliance is expected to launch an assault on Raqqa in the coming weeks.

Defence officials told the Washington Post the Marines planned to set up an artillery battery that could fire powerful 155mm shells from M777 howitzers.

Over the weekend, a separate force of elite US army Rangers was also deployed near a town north-west of Raqqa in heavily armoured vehicles, in an attempt to end clashes between SDF fighters and a Turkish-backed rebel force.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39217015

[democrank]

1. Kick

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. CIC was a draft dodging chickenshit, shouldn't be sending anybody anywhere to do anything.

[gratuitous]

3. President Trump has more widows to make

He'll need a steady supply of widows to introduce at his speeches and other public appearances for the sure-fire applause they'll generate.