Pentagon chief eyes rules of engagement in fight against ISIS

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Thursday that the U.S. is prepared to loosen the rules of engagement against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 

“We’re prepared to change the rules of engagement,” Carter said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” noting that the U.S.-led coalition is now also going after different types of ISIS targets.  

“We’ve changed tactics, as we just did in the case of the fuel trucks,” he said. 

{mosads}The coalition targeted 116 ISIS fuel trucks earlier this week. Defense officials attributed the success to better intelligence collection, adding that there is now a greater willingness to inflict greater damage on infrastructure targets. 

Previously, targets would be damaged, but not destroyed, in order to leave Syria with the capability to produce oil after ISIS is defeated. 

“The oil infrastructure is something that the civilian population benefits from as well,” Carter said. 

The administration has come under heavy criticism over its rules of engagement in the air war that has targeted ISIS for more than a year. 

The administration has imposed strict rules of engagement to avoid civilian casualties. But critics say the rules are too restrictive, and a majority of aircraft return to their bases without dropping a bomb. 

Carter also said intelligence is improving and yielding more targets. 

“And we’re getting better and better at this every day,” he said. “And I hope now, as a consequence of the Paris attacks, France has indicated a willingness to do more.

“I hope the European countries do more than they have done so far,” he added.