The U.S. navy presence in northern Syria to fight the terrorist group Daesh remains to be definitely worth the threat eight years on, in accordance with Army General Mark Milley.
Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, flew on Saturday to Syrian areas occupied by the PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG, to evaluate efforts to forestall a resurgence of Daesh and evaluate safeguards for American forces towards assaults, together with from drones flown by Iran-backed militia.
“General Milley visited Northeast Syria today to meet commanders and troops,” Joint Staff spokesman Col. Dave Butler informed reporters.
“While there, he received updates on the counter-ISIS mission, inspected force protection measures, and assessed repatriation efforts for the Al Hol refugee camp,” Butler added, referring to Daesh by an alternate acronym.
While Daesh is a shadow of the group that dominated over a 3rd of Syria and Iraq when it declared a so-called “caliphate” in 2014, a whole lot of fighters are nonetheless camped in desolate areas the place the Syrian military, with assist from Russia and Iranian-backed militias, and YPG terrorists backed by the United States wrestle to exert full management.
Thousands of different Daesh fighters are in detention services supervised by the YPG, the Syrian extension of the PKK, acknowledged as a terrorist group by Türkiye and described as “key ally” by Washington.
Asked by reporters touring with him if he believed the deployment of round 900 U.S. troops to Syria was definitely worth the threat, Milley tied the mission to the safety of the U.S. and its allies, saying, “If you think that that’s important, then the answer is ‘Yes.’”
“I happen to think that’s important. So, I think that an enduring defeat of ISIS and continuing to support our friends and allies in the region … I think those are important tasks that can be done,” Milley mentioned.
According to U.S. media retailers, the mission carries threat. For instance, 4 U.S. troops have been wounded throughout a helicopter raid final month when a Daesh chief triggered an explosion. The identical month, the U.S. navy shot down an Iranian-made drone making an attempt to conduct surveillance on a patrol base in northeastern Syria.
Three drones focused a U.S. base in January in Syria’s Al-Tanf area. The U.S. navy mentioned two of the drones have been shot down whereas the remaining drone hit the compound, injuring two YPG terrorists.
U.S. officers consider drone and rocket assaults are being directed by Iran-backed militia, a reminder of the advanced geopolitics of Syria the place Syrian President Bashar Assad counts on assist from Iran and Russia and sees U.S. troops as occupiers.
America additionally considers NATO ally Türkiye’s potential offensive in Syria towards PKK/YPG terrorists “a threat” to its troops and so-called companions.
U.S. Army Major General Matthew McFarlane, who instructions the U.S.-led coalition towards Daesh, described assaults towards U.S. forces as a “distraction from our main mission.”
McFarlane cited progress towards Daesh, together with the discount in internally displaced folks at refugee camps – a pool of weak folks Daesh may recruit.
The al-Hol camp homes greater than 50,000 folks, together with Syrians, Iraqis, and different nationals who fled the battle, and McFarlane estimated round 600 infants have been born there yearly.
The common mentioned he believed there can be a time when U.S. companions in Syria may handle independently. But there is no such thing as a publicly recognized goal date to finish that transition.
“Over time, I envision us transitioning when the conditions are met, where our partners can independently have a sustainable capacity and capability to keep ISIS in check,” he mentioned.
Alongside the EU, each Washington and Ankara acknowledge the PKK as a terrorist group, and regardless of Ankara’s documentation of the truth that the YPG is, actually, the identical terrorist group, continued U.S. assist for the terrorists has been a supply of great pressure between the allies.
For years, Türkiye has strenuously objected to Washington’s confirmed help, together with arms, navy coaching, and common patrols, to the terrorists who’ve attacked Türkiye and brought tens of hundreds of lives prior to now 40 years.
The terrorist group has used bases throughout Türkiye’s border in northern Iraq and northern Syria to plot and perform assaults on the nation, working to create a terrorist hall alongside the borderline, threatening each Syrian locals and close by Turkish residents.
Since 2016, Ankara has been main counteroffensives towards these teams and striving to determine a 30-kilometer-deep (19-mile-deep) safety line, for which Russia and the U.S. additionally dedicated assist in October 2019.
The identical month, Türkiye launched its Operation Spring Peace towards the PKK/YPG and Daesh in northern Syria, with Washington promising that the PKK/YPG would withdraw from the area. The U.S. navy then evacuated all its bases within the space, prioritizing stationing close to oil fields occupied by the terrorists within the Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir el-Zour districts. Nevertheless, it sends reinforcements price tens of millions of {dollars} to the items there.
Thanks to this assist, the PKK/YPG has grown stronger in northeastern Syria, regardless of Washington’s guarantees to Türkiye that it might “consult and work closely” with Ankara towards Daesh and the PKK.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan too typically lambasts the U.S. for “turning a blind eye” to Türkiye’s considerations over its cooperation with the PKK/YPG regardless of repeated complaints, stressing that Türkiye is “committed to protecting its borders and will not seek anyone’s permission” for cross-border operations towards terrorists.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
