US says coalition laying groundwork to retake Raqqa from ISIS
PARIS - Even as it provides support for Iraq's battle to retake Mosul, the US led-coalition is laying the groundwork to push Islamic State militants out of the Syrian city of Raqqa, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday.
But a senior military official cautioned that conducting major operations in Raqqa and Mosul at the same time would stretch the coalition. He says the Raqqa campaign should wait until the Iraqis have made more significant progress in Mosul, where resistance from the militants has been described as heavy.
The senior military official said that if the Mosul and Raqqa operations were done now, the biggest strains would be on fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft. The coalition should be able to start the Raqqa operation in the near future, the official said, but declined to give a more precise timeline.
