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 under 50 special operations forces into Syria to primarily advise the Syrian Arab Coalition, U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News 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.