Paul Ryan Questions Obama Syria Strategy Amid Planned Deployment
"Hopefully, he has one [a strategy] now," the new House speaker says.
— -- New House Speaker Paul Ryan said today he hopes President Obama's plan to deploy U.S. special operations forces in Syria represents the start of a strategy for the conflict in the embattled Mideast nation.
"He really hasn't had a Syria strategy," the Wisconsin Republican told ABC News today. "Hopefully, he has one now."
Obama is directing the Pentagon to send less than 50 special operations forces into Syria to primarily advise the Syrian Arab Coalition, the White House said today.
The move would put U.S. special forces troops in Syria for the first time in the campaign against the Islamic State.
Ryan, who was elected to serve as the 54th House speaker Thursday, said he was awaiting more information about the plan.
"It's premature to come down to a conclusion as to whether this is the right policy or not," Ryan said, adding that he was waiting for the “president has to fully explain what this is."
A U.S. official told ABC News the U.S. troops would work with Syrian rebel groups along the Syrian border, and not on the front lines, providing the same training and assistance U.S. forces provide in Iraq.
The U.S. will "likely see the same results in the region" without a "coherent" strategy for the Islamic State, Ryan wrote in a subsequent statement from his office.
Tune in to ABC News’ “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” Sunday for the entire interview with Ryan.