The U.S. military will be required to obtain the personal signoff of President Barack Obama for its strikes in Syria, according to a new report. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Obama will exert “a high degree of personal control” over the military strategy against ISIS in Syria, as the U.S. seeks to avoid becoming too deeply involved in that country’s civil war. The military strategy in Iraq will not have such strict requirements for presidential approval, the paper reports.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel disputed the report during testimony on Capitol Hill Thursday, saying flatly that the story is "not true."
On Wednesday, Obama reiterated his pledge not to involve U.S. ground troops in the conflict. “I want to be clear: The American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and won't have a combat mission,” he told personnel at U.S. Central Command headquarters. “As your commander in chief, I won't commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq.”