A must read article for those who don't understand why US, along with
NATO & non-NATO members are there. Most of Syria's oil resources are
located in the northern and eastern flanks of Syria; as such, they had
established secret military bases in those areas. British SAS troops are
also operating secretly on the ground.
US will remain in Syria for decades after ISIS defeated, Kurdish militia allies say
RT: 18 Aug, 2017
One of Washington’s main allies in their fight against Islamic
State in Syria says US forces will remain in the country’s north long
after the jihadists are defeated. Enduring ties with the Kurdish
dominated region is said to be a goal of the US.
The
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance of militias
dominated by the Kurdish YPG, also known as the People’s Protection
Unit, are under the impression that the US has a “strategic interest” in staying in the region, SDF spokesman Talal Silo told Reuters.
“They have a strategy policy for decades to come. There will be
military, economic and political agreements in the long term between the
leadership of the northern areas (of Syria) and the US administration,” Silo said.
Washington
has supported the YPG, a homegrown defense force in the Kurdish area of
Syria, with equipment and airstrikes. However, the YPG is closely
linked to the Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK, which is deemed a terrorist
organization by Turkey, another US ally.
Last month, the head of
the YPG said the US had established seven military bases in areas of
northern Syria controlled by the SDF or YPG. This includes a major
airbase near Kobani, a town that borders Turkey. They have also
supported the SDF with artillery, airstrikes and special forces on the
ground.
Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the coalition, was
asked by Reuters about long term strategy, but he directed that question
to the Pentagon. He did mention, though, that there is “still a lot of fighting to do, even after ISIS has been defeated in Raqqa.”
Dillon
also stated that Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) has remained in
strongholds along the Euphrates River Valley, a reference to its
stronghold in Deir ez-Zor province, southeast of Raqqa.
“Our
mission... is to defeat ISIS in designated areas of Iraq and Syria and
to set conditions for follow-on operations to increase regional
stability,” Dillon said, Reuters reported.
In Washington, Eric Pahon, a Pentagon spokesman said:
“The Department of Defense does not discuss timelines for future
operations. However we remain committed to the destruction of ISIS and
preventing its return.”
The SDF and YPG dominate an uninterrupted 250-mile (400km) stretch of
the Syrian-Turkish border. This area gave way to Kurdish-led
independent administrations which have taken control since the start of
the Syrian conflict in 2011.
Also, a major point of contention
between the US and Syria’s bordering country, Turkey, is the US alliance
with the YPG and SDF. Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the PKK
which has been waging a three-decade insurgency in Turkey.
Under
President Donald Trump, the US started to distribute arms to the YPG in
March before the final assault on Raqqa city. This infuriated Turkey,
which has thus far unsuccessfully lobbied Washington to cut ties with
the SDF.
The SDF spokesman explained what he believes the US presence in this region will ultimately lead to.
“The Americans have strategic interests here after the end of Daesh,” Silo said, using the Arabic pejorative term for IS.
“They
(recently) referred to the possibility of securing an area to prepare
for a military airport. These are the beginnings – they're not giving
support just to leave. America is not providing all this support for
free,” Silo said, according to Reuters.
“Maybe there could be an alternative to their base in Turkey,” Silo said, in reference to the Incirlik Air Base.
Author and journalist, Max Blumenthal told RT America that fighting
IS is but a pretext for the US to extend its influence in Syria.
“[The] US has clearly benefited from a long standing project of destabilizing Syria,” Blumenthal said. The decision to fight ISIS in this area “was simply a pretext for establishing US influence.”
The coalition said it does not discuss the location of its forces because of operational security.
Even
though SDF forces are optimistic about a continued US presence in the
region, there is concern that Washington won’t provide enough support to
YPG-allied forces and civil councils controlling northeast Syria.
“We're constantly asking them for clear, public political support,” Silo said.
Silo also said that SDF forces held their first public meeting with US State Department officials this month. “At
the moment there are no meetings being held for a real discussion of
Syria's future. There are initiatives for developing political support
for our forces, but we hope this will be bigger.”
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