Backs Sen. Ernst's Calls to Escalate Involvement Jason Ditz Posted on July 19, 2017Categories NewsTags Pentagon, Philippines US special forces have been involved in the Philippines military operation against ISIS for awhile now, but its 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 countrys 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 didnt 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 militarys last anti-terror operation in the Philippines ended about three years ago, despite the ongoing involvement in the current fighting.