Defense Secretary James Mattis wants to talk with Mideast allies before considering whether to put ground troops into Syria and Iraq as part of a ramped-up anti-ISIS campaign, Military.com reports.
Responding to a report that ground troops were being considered, Mattis didn't rule out the possibility.
But he said, "I first want to talk to the other allies and we'll decide where we're going," Military.com reported.
Talks with allies are likely to begin this weekend following a security conference in Germany on Friday, Mattis said at a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the military news outlet reported.
"Once we know what we have in a mutual appreciation of the situation, then we'll go forward."
The option of ground troops, if it moves forward, would be included in the plan to defeat ISIS that Trump directed Mattis to draw up within 30 days of an executive order signed Jan. 27, Military. com reported.
The president also has brought up the possibility of having U.S. and Russian militaries coordinate anti-ISIS efforts in Syria, but Mattis said Russia would have to "prove itself first" before any joint military action.
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