Ash Carter: ‘We’re prepared to change rules of engagement’ in fight vs. ISIS
Washington Times
By David Sherfinski and Dave Boyer - The Washington Times - Thursday, November 19, 2015
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says the U.S. is prepared to change the “rules of engagement” in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group, pointing to methods like targeting fuel trucks controlled by the terrorist group.
“We’ve reviewed them — we review them all the time,” Mr. Carter said in an interview for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “Actually, if you look at the data, the thing that most enhances the impact of the air campaign is better and better intelligence. We’re prepared to change rules of engagement. We’ve changed tactics, as we just did in the case of the fuel trucks.”
Mr. Carter said the U.S. has started going after fuel convoys now, in addition to the 3,500 people on the ground in Iraq and air sorties flying “every day.”
“ISIL uses the oil infrastructure as a way to raise money,” he said. “We took out ‘Jihadi John,’ we took out the head of ISIL in Libya, we’re running raids like the one that got Abu Sayyaf.”
The sentiment was echoed Thursday by White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes.
“We’ve increased the targeting of ISIL oil infrastructure in recent days with great success in targeting trucks that were carrying oil that brings significant amounts of revenue to ISIL,” Mr. Rhodes said at a press briefing in Manila. “So nations can contribute to the identification of targets through that means, as well.”
Mr. Rhodes said the infrastructure that’s been built up over the last year or so in the campaign against the group has contributed to the targeting of “Jihadi John” and other group leaders.
“So I think we’ve already constructed an architecture that allows us to go after high-value targets, but the more we have cooperation from intelligence partners in the region and in Europe, the more effective we’re going to be,” he said.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/19/ashton-carter-were-prepared-change-rules-engagemen/
