Nancy Youssef and Kimberly Dozier, Daily Beast: Pentagon Walks Back Promise to Attack ISIS Capital ASAP
When the defense secretary promised an assault on ISIS’s capital in ‘weeks,’ the Pentagon reacted with a collective WTF. Defense officials say an attack is more like six months off.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s claim last week that the assault on Raqqa, the capital of the so-called Islamic State, was “within weeks” was a surprise to the commanders planning the war, who believe local troops will not enter the city for months, three defense officials told The Daily Beast.
One official told The Daily Beast the attack on the ISIS capital could be six months away.
“The broader question of retaking Raqqa and who does that is still open and we’re gonna continue to discuss that with all of our coalition partners,” Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, explained to reporters Wednesday.
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WNU Editor: It will take longer than the six month time frame that some officials are now talking about. Makes you wonder on what was U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter thinking when he first made this announcement .... U.S. Defense Secretary: 'Military Offensive To Retake Raqqa From The Islamic State Will Begin In Weeks' (October 26, 2016).