Russia’s strategy in Syria is making it a target for opponents of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said yesterday.
During a troop talk at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, Carter said Russian actions in Syria are illogical, wrong and backwards.
"The Russians are blundering into a situation -- and I've made this point repeatedly -- that is going to backlash on them," he said. By supporting Assad, Russia is "pouring gasoline on the civil war," Carter said.
The U.S. policy is to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, while seeking a political transition in Syria, he said. The U.S. will continue its efforts, which include an air campaign against ISIL, Carter said, and will ignore Russia until it realizes its mistake.
"They've painted a bullseye on themselves for everybody of all types who are opposed to Assad -- both those who could be part of the political future and, of course, those like ISIL, who can't be part of any future and just have to be wiped out," Carter said.
'Crazy' Not to Recruit Women For All Roles
Carter said although no decision yet has been made yet, it makes sense to open up as many military jobs as possible to female service members.
"Half the American population is female, so I'd be crazy not to be, so to speak, fishing in that pond for qualified service members," he said. "Otherwise, it's like having a population that's half the size."
He said he agrees with former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s assessment that by Jan. 1, 2016, all jobs will be open to women "unless a good reason can be found not to."
Carter said he will receive the recommendation from the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, who is reviewing recommendations from the service chiefs.
Mission success will be achieved when the services are able to recruit women into as many specialties as possible, Carter said.
Thanks the Troops
Carter thanked the troops for their service and sacrifice. The American people are grateful, he said.
"We are so incredibly proud of you and what you do -- not only for our country, which is, of course, the main point, but for the rest of the world, and for great partners and allies like the Italians here," he said.
The American troops in Italy are at the "hub of the change in mission sets" as the U.S. winds down 14 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.
"You look magnificent, and the first thing I want to say to you is how incredibly proud I am of you, and every American is of you," he said, as he began the troop talk.
The secretary said he and his wife Stephanie are grateful, adding, "You are what we wake up to every morning. You're what we think about all day."
(Follow Lisa Ferdinando on Twitter: @FerdinandoDoD)