US top brass grumble over Obama's strategy for battling Islamic State
Ruling out troop deployments to battle Islamic State militants puts Obama at odds with US military chiefs as French join air strikes in Iraq
Flashes of disagreement over how to fight the Islamic State are mounting between US President Barack Obama and military leaders, the latest sign of strain in what often has been an awkward and uneasy relationship.
Even as the administration has received congressional backing for its strategy, with the Senate voting on Thursday to approve a plan to arm and train Syrian rebels, military leaders have criticised Obama's approach against the militants.
Retired marine General James Mattis, who served under Obama until last year, told the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee a blanket prohibition on ground combat was tying the military's hands.
"Half-hearted or tentative efforts, or air strikes alone, can backfire on us and actually strengthen our foes' credibility," he said. "We may not wish to reassure our enemies in advance that they will not see American boots on the ground."
Mattis' comments came as French fighter jets joined the US in conducting air strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq.
A pair of Rafale fighter jets accompanied by support planes struck yesterday morning, and the target was "entirely destroyed", President Francois Hollande said. Four laser-guided bombs struck an Iraqi military installation that had been overrun by the militants, and hit a munitions and fuel depot.