Listen

Carter Calls for US 'Boots on the Ground' in IS Fight

Jobs and Trade Agreements Top Concern Among Indiana Workers

Florida’s Weeki Wachee ‘Mermaids’ Make a Splash

Investors Shifting Away from Tech and Going Back to Basics

Full Interview: Secretary Kerry Talks to Alhurra

Captured IS Commander: Militants Changing Tactics Because of Coalition Bombingsi

▶ || 0:00:00

... ⇱

▶

Dilshad Anwar

January 22, 2016 8:15 PM

An Islamic State commander captured by Kurdish Peshmerga forces says the militants are changing tactics in the face of bombings by the U.S.-led Western coalition. Captured near the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, the commander spoke to VOA's Kurdish service reporter, Dilshad Anwer.

VIDEO: An Islamic State commander captured by Kurdish Peshmerga forces says the militants are changing tactics in the face of bombings by the U.S.-led Western coalition. Captured near the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, the commander spoke to VOA's Kurdish service reporter, Dilshad Anwer.

Carla Babb

January 22, 2016 12:47 PM

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has called for continued U.S. "boots on the ground" in Iraq and Syria to defeat the Islamic State (IS) group.

Speaking in an interview with CNBC television at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Carter said U.S. forces on the ground will "enable" local forces and remain focused on an advise and assist mission.

"We're looking for opportunities to do more, and there will be boots on the ground. I want to be clear about that," Carter said. "But it's a strategic question, whether you are enabling local forces to take and hold, rather than trying to substitute for them."

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter attends a news conference at the French Defence Ministry in Paris, France, Jan. 20, 2016.

The secretary will be meeting with several defense ministers in two weeks. He says many countries are not doing enough in the war against IS, saying that they are in the fight "on paper."

"The United States does not ask people for favors...," he said. "We're looking for other people to play their part."

The United States currently has about 3,550 service members in Iraq, with about 2,750 of those supporting Iraqi security forces as trainers, advisers or support staff, according to Central Command data released to VOA.

There are less than 50 U.S. special forces in Syria.

PowerPoint Presentation

Carla Babb

Carla is VOA's Pentagon correspondent covering defense and international security issues. Her datelines include Ukraine, Turkey, Pakistan, Korea, Japan and Egypt.

You May Like

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the Eagle Academy Foundation’s annual fundraising breakfast in New York City, April 29, 2016.

Clinton, Trump and the 'Woman’s Card'

Ask supporters of Democratic front-runner in US presidential campaign, and they’ll tell you Republican presidential candidate is playing a dangerous hand

Russian Censorship Group Seeks Chinese Help to Better Control Internet

At recent Safe Internet League forum in Moscow, speakers from both nations underscored desire for authorities to further limit and control information online

Makeshift Pakistani School Helps Slum Kids

Free classes in Islamabad park serve a few of the country’s nearly 25 million out-of-school youths; NGO cites ‘education crisis’

This forum has been closed.

Comment Sorting

Comments

by: Godwin from: Nigeria

January 23, 2016 8:58 AM

At the long last somebody comes to judgment with the senses. However, like some are saying, if it means going in there once again to pamper the situation rather than meet it head-on, better not go at’all. While USA’s formed these insurgent groups to destabilize especially upcoming, emerging markets/developing economies, going in at all to make terrorists armies look strong to withstand the most powerful army in the world, is death-message that kills people because they see no hope of living when mere terrorists hold up US army for years, including inconclusive campaigns in Iraq/Afghanistan/Libya. Or are we merely believing that there’s something special about the superpower armies? Look at Russia in Syria; if there was any sweeping approach the superpowers can use to shelltox insurgency and sweep it away to show supremacy, Russia wouldn’t hesitate to apply it in Syria seeing how strategic the war-ravaged country is to its power bloc in the nascent cold-war. So I ask: Does the US have what it takes to defeat these terrorists? Are we going to see the US come down with its sweeping power to overwhelm and defeat ISIS once-and-for-all, or are to wait for another?

by: Mrs.. Karen Belchvomit

January 23, 2016 4:05 AM

But the CIA FUND$ AL QAEDA! !!!!!.....

by: david from: philippine

January 23, 2016 12:46 AM

the only way, and the best for all people, , it is fully arm the kurdish people

by: Anonymous

January 22, 2016 3:19 PM

Once again, the US is going to sacrifice valuable American lives for the profit of Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The most vital thing now is to close the Turkish border between Afrin and Jarabulus, that's the very portion that Turkey gets oil from ISIS and sends weapons to ISIS and AQ, and the Kurds are ready to close that border.

But Turkey doesn't want the Kurds to do that, so Turkey is making American politicians to commit boots on the grounds... for the benefit of Turkey, which will keep the border open for Turkey.

Why should the US do it?

by: meanbill from: USA

January 22, 2016 3:06 PM

A Wise Man questions this new US strategy that will be used in Iraq now, [because in 2003] the US and NATO invaded Iraq with over three US and British reinforced armored divisions of the best military troops in the history of the world, (and after 7 years), they couldn't defeat a few thousand Sunni Muslim al-Qaeda terrorists and a few thousand Shia Muslim militia fighters, and were driven out of Iraq, [and now], the US is going to reintroduce a few thousand US ground troops in Iraq as a token military force (to help the 3rd world Iraqi army), in an attempt to silence their many critics back home that question their failed tactics and strategy that's left the terrorists undefeated and a real world power now?

PS; Nothing of consequence will change in the war against the terrorists, but the propaganda, the terrorists will still be undefeated and a greater world power when this president leaves office in 2017.... count on it? .. [while millions of more innocents will continue to suffer and die waiting for some countries to rescue them from wars and conflicts they didn't start?] .. Talk and propaganda won't defeat the terrorists.... count on it?

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Turkish Kurd Islamist Rally Stokes Tensionsi

▶ || 0:00:00

... ⇱

▶

April 29, 2016 12:28 AM

In a sign of the rising power of Islamists in Turkey, more than 100,000 people recently gathered in Diyarbakir, the main city in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. The gathering highlighted tensions with the pro-secular Kurdish nationalist movement. Dorian Jones reports from Diyarbakir.

Video

Turkish Kurd Islamist Rally Stokes Tensions

Comment (0)

Video

Pakistani School Helps Slum Kids

Master Mohammad Ayub runs a makeshift school in a public park in Islamabad. Thousands of poor children have benefited from his services over the years, but, as VOA's Ayesha Tanzeem reports, roughly 25 million school-age youths don't get an education in Pakistan.

Comment (0)

Video

Florida’s Weeki Wachee ‘Mermaids’ Make a Splash

Since 1947, ‘mermaids’ have fascinated tourists at central Florida’s Weeki Wachee Springs State Park with their fluid movements and synchronized ballet. Performing underwater has its challenges, including cold temperatures and a steady current, as VOA’s Lin Yang and Joseph Mok report.

Comment (0)

Video

Somali, African Union Forces Face Resurgent Al-Shabab

The Islamic State terror group claimed its first attack in Somalia earlier this week, though the claim has not been verified by forces on the ground. Meanwhile, al-Shabab militants have stepped up their attacks as Somalia prepares for elections later this year. Henry Ridgwell reports there are growing frustrations among Somalia’s Western backers over the country’s slow progress in forming its own armed forces to establish security after 25 years of chaos.

Comment (0)

Video

Bangladesh Targeted Killings Spark Wave of Fear

People in Bangladesh’s capital are expressing deep concern over the brutal attacks that have killed secular blogger, and most recently a gay rights activist and an employee of the U.S. embassy. Xulhaz Mannan, an embassy protocol officer and the editor of the country’s only gay and transgender magazine Roopban; and his friend Mehboob Rabbi Tanoy, a gay rights activist, were hacked to death by five attackers in Mannan’s Dhaka home earlier this month.

Comment (0)

Video

Documentary Tells Tale of Chernobyl Returnees

Ukraine this week is marking the 30th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear accident, at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Soviet officials at first said little about the accident, but later evacuated a 2,600-square-kilometer "exclusion zone." Some people, though, came back. American directors Holly Morris and Anne Bogart created a documentary about this faithful and brave community. VOA's Tetiana Kharchenko reports from New York on "The Babushkas of Chernobyl." Carol Pearson narrates.

Video

Nigerians Feel Bite of Buhari Economic Policy

Despite the global drop in the price of oil, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to allow the country's currency to devalue, leading to a shortage of foreign exchange. Chris Stein reports from Lagos businessmen and consumers are feeling the impact as the country deals with a severe fuel shortage.

Comment (6)

Video

Return to the Wild

There’s a growing trend in the United States to let old or underused golf courses revert back to nature. But as Erika Celeste reports from one parcel in Grafton, Ohio, converting 39 hectares of land back to green space is a lot more complicated than just not mowing the fairway.

Comment (0)

Video

West Urges Unity in Libya as Migrant Numbers Soar

The Italian government says a NATO-led mission aimed at stemming the flow of migrants from Libya to Europe could be up and running by July. There are concerns that the number of migrants could soar as the route through Greece and the Balkans remains blocked. Western powers say the political chaos in Libya is being exploited by people smugglers — and they are pressuring rival groups to come together under the new unity government. VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports.

Video

Russia’s TV Rain Swims Against Tide in Sea of Kremlin Propaganda

Russia’s media freedoms have been gradually eroded under President Vladimir Putin as his government has increased state ownership, influence, and restrictions on critical reporting. Television, where most Russians get their news, has been the main target and is now almost completely state controlled. But in the Russian capital, TV Rain stands out as an island in a sea of Kremlin propaganda.