Top US General Wants Formal Military Operation in the Philippines to Fight ISIS

Backs Sen. Ernst's Calls to Escalate Involvement

Jason Ditz 

Posted onJuly 19, 2017CategoriesNewsTagsPentagon, Philippines

US special forces have been involved in the Philippines’ military operation against ISIS for awhile now, but it’s limited technical support, for now. President Rodrigo Duterte claimed not to have been consulted about that limited involvement, saying it was a decision made at the military level.

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Paul Selva, however, suggests the US should get more deeply involved, saying the US ought to consider “formal” military operations to try to slow the rise of ISIS in the country’s south.

The comments were made to the Senate Armed Services Committee at the prompting of Sen. Joni Ernst (R – IA), an advocate of the US intervening militarily in the Philippines, who argued that it threatened a “long-term catastrophe” in the Philippines if the US didn’t get involved.

Gen. Selva was more vague, however, saying he thinks the US ought to consider “named operations” everywhere on the planet where “we see the resurgence of terror networks.” The US military’s last anti-terror operation in the Philippines ended about three years ago, despite the ongoing involvement in the current fighting.

http://news.antiwar.com/2017/07/19/top-us-general-wants-formal-military-operation-in-the-philippines-to-fight-isis/