by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - The US is sending around 100 extra troops to Syria to protect against increasing Russian aggression and signs of renewed activity from ISIS in the region, the New York Times (NYT) reported Friday. The newly deployed soldiers will be added to a contingent of some 500 American troops in Syria. Additional military hardware will also be sent and there will be more fighter jet patrols.
Referring to the decision to bolster the US presence in Syria, Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for the US Central Command (CENTCOM), said in an email to the NYT: "These actions are a clear demonstration of US resolve to defend coalition forces and to ensure that they are able to continue their defeat-ISIS mission without interference."
The Free Beacon reports that the presence of ISIS in Syria and elsewhere still poses a challenge to US interests. According to a Wall Street Journal report quoted by the Free Beacon, ISIS is using an estimated excess of $300 million to fund operations against efforts American-led coalition efforts in the Middle East. CENTCOM Chief Frank McKenzie said last month that the conditions for ISIS to arise continue to prevail, the Free Beacon reports. "They continue to aspire to regain control of physical terrain. Without sustained pressure, they have the potential to do so in a relatively short period of time," McKenzie is quoted as saying.
Russia has also adopted an adversarial stance toward the US, especially in the Middle East, the Free Beacon reports. In a recent incident that gave rise to concern, a Russian vehicle was conducting irregular maneuvers when it rammed an American patrol unit, wounding seven US soldiers in August.
Discussing the ramming incident with the NYT, McKenzie said: "[The Russians] were in an area they were not supposed to be. They were not in an area that they had received permission to go to. And their actions were frankly reckless at the tactical level."
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