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US Centcom Commander Visits Syria's North-East 2 May 29, 2016 News & Analysis Syria US Centcom commander visits Syria’s north-east Abdulrahman al-Masri Ontario top US commander trav- elled to north-eastern Syria, meeting US spe- cial operations forces deployed in the area and leadersA of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). US Army General Joseph Votel, chief of the US Central Command, spent several hours on May 21st at various undisclosed locations where US military advisers are sta- tioned. Votel’s trip came as the United States aims to accelerate the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) and took place concurrently with the arrival of 250 additional US special operations forces in Syria whose mission is to train and advise local troops. Votel’s visit demonstrates US support and commitment to the Syrian Kurds. “I left with increased confidence in their capabilities and our ability to support them,” Votel said in an in- terview with the Associated Press, insisting that the United States was Members of what the United States calls the Syrian Democratic Forces gather after a training session at a firing range in northern Syria. taking the right approach by back- US Army General Joseph Votel, the head of Central Command, visited the camp on May 21st. ing SDF troops in the fight against ISIS. “I think that model is working and working well,” he added. ISIS’s de facto capital Raqqa and ple’s Protection Units (YPG) — at- semi-autonomous Kurdish admin- tion group. Votel’s visit demonstrates US then move on the inner city. tempting to extend control into istration have avoided mandatory Nashar said the United States support and commitment to the The US-led coalition battling ISIS non-Kurdish areas. Although the military service. failed to form a Sunni Arab force Syrian Kurds, whom the United is to provide air cover for SDF troops Kurds might be more interested in “The Kurds have no need for this capable of being a ground partner, States considers its only reliable trying to advance against ISIS posi- consolidating control over their ar- [Raqqa] battle,” one Kurdish resi- referring to the unsuccessful CIA- ally on the ground capable of coun- tions. Prior to the announcement, eas or connecting cantons with one dent told the Syria Direct news out- led training programme that was tering ISIS. the international coalition dropped another, the United States is trying let. “Our blood will be spent for a suspended last October. He blamed “It’s becoming less and less sur- leaflets over Raqqa warning resi- to focus on Raqqa, Mansour said. battle that is not ours to fight.” its failure on Obama’s decision to prising… to see American generals, dents to flee the city. He argued that the Kurds might The Syrian opposition is also crit- fight only ISIS and not the regime of commanders meeting with Kurd- Brett McGurk, US President be using the Raqqa battle “as a bar- ical of the Raqqa battle and the fact Syrian President Bashar Assad. ish forces,” said Renad Mansour, a Barack Obama’s special envoy for gaining chip for solid guarantees for that it will be carried out by mainly “The Syrian opposition is only fellow and researcher on Kurdish the coalition, recently made his their own purposes”. Kurdish forces. The opposition was waiting the departure of the Obama affairs at the Carnegie Middle East second visit to Syria and met with “Unlike the Iraqi Kurds, [Syrian further provoked by Votel’s visit administration,” he added. Centre in Beirut. Kurdish officials ahead of the bat- Kurds’] guarantee for international and support for the SDF. A few days after Votel’s visit, tle. McGurk had spent two days in support is very weak and very un- “The Sunni Arabs are the ones Abdulrahman al-Masri reports on the SDF leadership announced northern Syria in late January. stable,” he said. who should lead the liberation of politics and news in the Middle the launch of an offensive against Raqqa is mostly populated by Some Kurds have voiced opposi- Raqqa,” said Samir Nashar, a senior East and Syria in particular. ISIS in which the US-backed group Arabs and observers see risks with tion to entering Raqqa. Young Syri- member of the Syrian National Coa- He can be followed on Twitter: would target the northern parts of the SDF — led by the Kurdish Peo- an Kurds living in areas ruled by the lition, the major political opposi- @AbdulrhmanMasri. Obama eyes a big win in Raqqa Viewpoint ight months before ing defeats within three months a big problem for the attackers. March. The Obama administration leaving the White — at the ancient city of Palmyra in The land is flat, sitting atop a water Obama was unhappy about being passed House, US President March and another in Raqqa that reservoir. That means ISIS fighters over on Palmyra, a city that gripped Barack Obama is could come as early as June. cannot dig tunnels, as they have wants the world’s attention when it fell to planning to score a Since mid-May, ISIS has been elsewhere, to avoid air strikes and a clean ISIS a year ago, partly because of its major military victory evacuating women and children shellfire, nor can they hide in tall victory ancient ruins, some of which ISIS Etaking the Syrian city of Raqqa, de — 300-400 people — from Raqqa; buildings because there aren’t any. destroyed. facto capital of the Islamic State’s According to sources inside Raqqa, Raqqa’s streets are wide, al- in Raqqa, Putin flew in a full Russian caliphate. They include the European wives lowing aerial bombing to be more similar to orchestra to perform in the desert When Islamic State (ISIS) leaders of ISIS jihadists, among them Hayat precise. The city is surrounded by Russian city’s ancient amphitheatre while Sami declared Raqqa, on the north- Boumeddiene, a French woman desert, easily patrolled from the President he addressed the audience via sat- Moubayed ern bank of the Euphrates river, who fled to Raqqa via Turkey in skies. ellite from his Kremlin office. to be the seat of the caliphate January after her husband helped Obama wants a clean victory in Vladimir The Americans were neither con- established in 2014, they wrongly carry out a series of terror attacks Raqqa, similar to Russian Presi- Putin’s sulted nor brought along to share believed they were on a long-term in Paris. dent Vladimir Putin’s capture of capture of the spoils. If Palmyra did wonders winning streak. Under heavy security and in Palmyra. Obama and Putin may be for Putin, Obama seeks the same After over-running Raqqa, the darkness, they left Raqqa in con- coordinating operations in the air Palmyra. from Raqqa. Yet when the ego-in- first provincial capital ISIS cap- voys of buses to Deir ez-Zor. but they are not cooperating in the flation stops and the chest-thump- tured in Syria, and neighbouring ISIS expects a major assault by war on terror. ing ends, both leaders will have to oil-rich Deir ez-Zor, they stormed Kurdish militias and Arab tribes- Moscow recently proposed joint sit back and coordinate strategy on into Mosul and Ramadi in Iraq, men of the Syrian Democratic action with the Americans via counterterrorism for what remains bringing the US-trained Iraqi Forces at any time. They will have Russian Defence Minister Ser- of Obama’s presidency. Army to its knees. Affiliate groups US air support, just as government gei Shoigu. It wants to strike all On May 24th, Russian Foreign emerged in Libya, Egypt, Gaza and troops had Russian cover in March militias that do not observe the Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow Nigeria. when they expelled ISIS from February 27th ceasefire, including was willing to coordinate with US The capture of Raqqa, Syria’s Palmyra. ISIS in Raqqa and Jabhat al-Nusra, proxies in the assault on Raqqa. sixth largest city, did wonders Food is being rationed in Raqqa al- Qaeda’s Syrian branch, which If that doesn’t happen, whoever for ISIS’s image within the global and able-bodied men aged 18 and controls the city of Idlib. replaces Obama in the White House jihadist community. Nobody older have been armed and prohib- On May 20th, the US expressed will find the United States compet- expected then that, two years later, ited from leaving. All medical leave little interest in that idea but this ing with Moscow for a military ISIS would be facing two sweep- has been cancelled and doctors are could change, as it has in the past. victory and a terrorist defeat. on high alert. The Americans and Russians The anti-terrorism coalition will Reinforcements arrived from worked together on the recent lib- soon have a giant hole in it, one the countryside around Aleppo eration of Iraq’s Ramadi, with the through which ISIS can drive a The anti-terrorism for what sources in Raqqa say ISIS US Air Force clearing the way for truck. Perhaps building on Russian- believes will be a “decisive battle”. Iraqi troops and Russian warplanes US competition, ISIS might even coalition will soon have In an audio statement released May striking reinforcements sent from retake Palmyra one day or Raqqa. a giant hole in it, one 21st, ISIS spokesman Abu Moham- Raqqa. mad al-Adnani acknowledged the It was a big success and was Sami Moubayed is a Syrian through which ISIS can dangers but defiantly declared: supposed to be repeated in the historian and author of Under the drive a truck. “Even if we lose Raqqa, we won’t liberation of Mosul in northern Iraq Black Flag (IB Taurus, 2015).
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