On the afternoon on February 15th, groundbreaking news surfaced: the Pentagon is considering sending American troops into northern Syria to expedite the battle against ISIS.

A defense official told reporters “it’s possible you may see conventional forces hit the ground in Syria for a period of time.” While nothing is certain yet, the choice is up to the president. Trump has given his defense secretary the deadline of a month to create a proposition to deal with ISIS. Only Special Operations forces have been in Syria, giving American assistance to forces fighting ISIS.

What the US would want to do exactly is unclear, but it would make the rebel reign more problematic for ISIS. The Obama administration was always incontestably opposed to American troops in Middle Eastern countries like Syria, but with a Republican president, the chances are significantly increasing. A decision like this could change the way many people view the Trump administration and the situation in Syria.

In addition, changing the way troops are deployed to Iraq is discussed daily. During Obama’s presidency, limits were put in place concerning how many troops were permitted to be in Iraq at once. As of now, the maximum number of troops allowed is 5,262. Again, the way these subjects are approached could very well be changing significantly.

Not much has been released from the Pentagon, but one thing is clear: the United States’ approach to international conflicts is shifting.