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n1 [soylentnews.org] writes:

The State Department said Monday that the Obama administration never promised “no boots on the ground” in Syria, despite nearly two years’ worth of reassurances from President Obama that say otherwise.

State Department spokesman John Kirby categorically denied that Obama vowed not to send U.S. forces to Syria to fight the ISIS, which led to a heated exchange between Kirby and Associated Press reporter Matt Lee.

“For months and months and months, the mantra from the president and everyone else in the administration has been ‘no boots on the ground,’ and now–” Lee said before Kirby cut him off.

“No, that is not true,” Kirby said.

Source: Washington Free Beacon [freebeacon.com]

Despite repeated promises to the contrary, US troops are in Syria, and the Pentagon has sent 250 more. But the State Department says those American soldiers wearing boots in Syria aren’t actually “boots on the ground.”

President Barack Obama confirmed plans to dramatically increase the American troop presence in Syria by deploying an additional 250 personnel, bringing the total to 300. He said the troops would help drive out Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

[...] “You guys are getting way wrapped around the actual on the phrase ‘boots on the ground’,” Kirby added later, noting that, among other things American pilots are flying combat missions above Iraq and Syria.

Lee took up the mantle of questioning once again.

“Why didn’t the administration come out and say, ‘There will be no large-scale combat’ instead of saying ‘no boots on the ground’?” Lee asked. “These people, unless they’re not wearing boots, are boots on the ground!”

“Listen, on this point, I totally agree with you,” Kirby replied. “They are wearing boots, and they are on the ground. But that doesn’t mean that they are in large-scale ground combat operations!”

Source: RT [rt.com]

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