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<\/a>U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter \u00a9 Yuri Gripas \/ Reuters<\/p><\/div>\n
RT.com<\/p>\n
The US is sending 200 additional military personnel to Syria to help drive Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS\/ISIL) from Raqqa, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Bahrain at the Manama Dialogue conference on Middle East security, Carter said the 200, including special forces trainers, advisers, and explosive ordnance disposal teams, would join 300 US special forces already in Syria.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese uniquely skilled operators will join the 300 US special operations forces already in Syria, to continue organizing, training, equipping, and otherwise enabling capable, motivated, local forces to take the fight to ISIL<\/em>,\u201d Carter said, as quoted by AP.<\/p>\n \u201cBy combining our capabilities with those of our local partners, we’ve been squeezing ISIL by applying simultaneous pressure from all sides and across domains, through a series of deliberate actions to continue to build momentum,<\/em>\u201d he added.<\/p>\n On Thursday, US President Barack Obama granted a waiver for restrictions on the delivery of military aid to \u201cforeign forces, irregular forces, groups, or individuals,\u201d if those forces are supporting the US\u2019 alleged counter-terrorism efforts in Syria.<\/p>\n The prospect of terrorists coming into possession of those weapons, including MANPADs (man-portable anti-air missiles), \u201cposes a serious threat not only for the region, but the entire world,\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned, adding that the US\u2019 decision will \u201cdefinitely\u201d<\/em> create a risk for the Russian Air Force.<\/p>\n According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the decision to ease restrictions on military aid for foreign forces and other fighters supporting the US in Syria is unlikely to affect the situation in eastern Aleppo.<\/p>\n Moscow is looking for a solution that involves as few casualties as possible, Lavrov stressed<\/a>, speaking at an OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg.<\/p>\n \u201cI think everyone understands that the militants in east Aleppo are agonizing. We don\u2019t want to support those who would gladly finish off those militants at any cost without any talks. We are ready to solve these problems in a way that would spare us additional casualties and destruction,\u201d<\/em> he noted.<\/p>\n