Obama Sending More Troops to Syria

Representative Steve Russell of Oklahoma was a guest on Secure Freedom Radio with Frank Gaffney yesterday. Russell is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a combat veteran himself.

Gaffney asked Russell to comment on the recent news that Obama is sending more troops to Syria.

“I think it’s important to bear in mind that troop requests are almost always generated from the field so as I look at it from a warrior’s perspective, I imagine that there were some requests for additional capacity on the ground within the limits that field commanders thought that would be reasonably considered. I don’t know what those original requests were. They typically though, in practice, whatever gets requested is usually reduced.”

Russell said that he finds it funny that people are viewing this as a request from Obama, saying this was most likely a field request.

Gaffney then brought up the subject of Guantanamo Bay and Obama’s desire to close the facility and bring the prisoners to America or send them to other countries, a move Russell opposes.

“I think the solution is we – taxpayers spent an enormous amount of money building a court room for war tribunals in Guantanamo Bay. I’ve toured the facility, it’s very nice, very adequate. Let’s have the war tribunals. The president has that authority, he could say look… I want these war tribunals. I want you to get it done. Instead, we see a lot of political shenanigans going on where they want to transfer these people to U.S. soil which is problematic because then they’re afforded certain liberties.”

Finally, Gaffney asked Russell about the National Security Council, which has apparently grown to include a whopping 400 people. There are legislative efforts to tighten things up and Gaffney asked Russell for his thoughts.

“Well we’re certainly looking at any way that we can streamline headquarters elements, that we can make our defense more efficient, now on the security pieces obviously these are advisors to the president, we want them to get the best council and wisdom and benefit of people’s security in uniform expertise. But, that said, here we have an example where you have both the Defense Department or GAO or whatever it might be, which has come out and recommended that we cut back, scale back or make changes… I do think it’ll be well received…”