Dempsey does not rule out US ground troops in Syria

The military's top officer said Wednesday that American military boots on the ground may eventually be needed in Syria to fight alongside moderate Syrian rebel groups, Sky news reported.
Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, testified on Capitol Hill that military commanders may consider the need for small teams of U.S. troops to help local Iraqi and Syrian forces if that is critical for defeating Daesh militants.
"If the commander on the ground approaches either me or the secretary of defense and believes that the introduction of special operations forces to accompany Iraqis or the new Syrian forces, or JTACS, these skilled folks who can call in close-air support, if we believe that's necessary to achieve our objectives, we will make that recommendation," Dempsey told the House Appropriations Committee's defense panel.
For months, the U.S. strategy for fighting the militants has focused on Iraq, where about 2,700 U.S. troops are running an advise-and-assist mission training Iraqi security forces to fight Daesh militants.
Source: MENA