US forces are in the outskirts of the Syrian town of Manbij
On November 21, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis revealed that the US-led coalition will establish several observation posts along the Syrian-Turkish border in order to address Turkey’s “legitimate” concerns about “terror threats” in northeastern Syria, which is controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
“We are putting in OPs [observation posts] up in northern Syria, this is a change now. We are putting in observation posts in several locations up along the Syria border … We want to be the people to call the Turks and warn them if we see something coming out of an area that we’re operating in,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon, according to the Turkish Anadolu Agency.
Mattis also said that U.S. forces in Syria are coordinating with the Turkish military and will continue to do so through the observations posts.
“We are going to track any threat that we can spot going up into Turkey. That means we will be talking to Turkey’s military across the border,” Mattis said.
This step by Washington is clearly aimed at easing the tensions between its allies. In the last few weeks, the Turkish military shelled several positions of the SDF in northern Syria. As a result, several SDF fighters were killed and injured, which forced the Kurdish-dominated group to retaliate.
While Mattis claims that the observation posts will secure Turkey from “terror threats,” a U.S. military presence on the border will actually prevent Turkey from launching any attacks on the SDF there.
That Mattis is one great chess player. Thank Heaven he is on our side.
He is a Mad Dog rememwber. Where I come from we shoot rabid dogs . Wouldn ‘t want him to bite a child or granma ,would we?
This was the easy part. It will be interesting to see his next move. A landlocked Kurdish state without any access to Mediterranean, surrounded by hostile countries, totally dependent on US aid, and dependent to hostile Turkey for water sources will not live long there. I wonder how they will overcome these problems and keep that statelet alive.
I didn’t see this coming, it’s actually the sensible thing to do but the last thing I thought the US would. The US OB posts will be vulnerable to Isis attacks though, they may fortify them like fortress’s but it still won’t stop hit and run attacks by Isis, 1 big truck bomb and no more OB post. How many soldiers will it take to man one of these OB posts, 25, 50, 100, maybe more, I don’t think 25 would do somehow. It could also cause disputes between Turkish and US forces in the right circumstances, misunderstandings, errors, retaliatory pursuits that go wrong, the list is long and the consequences for mistakes unknown, should be fun watching what happens there though.
US uses the Kurds as cannonfodder. They do anything for dollares. Blow up one OB, the day after replaced by new 100 Kurds. No problem.
I think this strike the Kurds are on is painting us a different picture now, they aren’t fighting Isis anywhere on behalf of the US anymore, just protecting themselves. They’ve even left the fighting at Hajin for the new US stooges, the Arabs and Christians that took their place, and now they’re are just sitting back and watching the US get a hammering. Personally I think they’re actually hoping Isis will break out of Hajin and do even more damage to the US’s reputation. I’m sure both Putin and Assad are laughing their gut’s out right about now.
ISIS? The Arab and Kurdish locals have rooted out any ISIS cells near the border a long time ago.
Well since SF has had numerous articles suggesting otherwise, I don’t think your right about that. I can think of at least half a dozen reports in SF over the last few weeks that have told us Isis has been very active around Ar Raqqah lately, assassinating many Arab leaders that have been cooperating with either Assad or the US. There have also been numerous reports in SF about attacks on Kurdish forces by unknown elements, meaning either pro Assad Arab militias or Isis are doing it. But most importantly, we actually have 4600 Isis fighters here in Ar Raqqah and Al Hasakah, hiding somewhere. The US and the Kurds didn’t flush out all the Isis fighters ages ago, it was only 4 or 5 months ago they began the operation to wipe out the large pocket of Isis in Ar Raqqah/Al Hasakah/Dier ez Zor, it was the larger of 2 pockets, the smaller one being at Hajin where they’re fighting now, but they failed miserably. There were an estimated 5000 fighters in this large pocket and the SAA only captured and killed 400 fighters, and even though Isis lost out and is no longer militarily active there, they still have 4600 fighters hiding out somewhere. The one thing the US can’t do now is wipe out Isis, the Kurds are on strike now as far as Isis is concerned, they’re only getting ready to fight the Turks. At Hajin where the US/SDF are fighting Isis, there are only Arabs and 1 Christian militia fighting now, no Kurds left there at all as far as I know, or if they are there they aren’t fighting Isis, they’re just sitting back and watching the show. The Kurds are punishing the US with this strike, the only force they’re prepared to fight now are the Turks.
“But most importantly, we actually have 4600 Isis fighters here in Ar Raqqah and Al Hasakah, hiding somewhere.” Does this number also include the ISIS women and children, those that are dead and buried, or who have run away or given up the fight. For sure many are hiding, but they are not in organized units with decent weapons and support. Surviving Daesh numbers are being vastly overstated as of late, mostly by the US coalition.
There were official Syrian government estimates of 6500 Isis fighters in US held territory [SF article quotes], SDF estimates were about the same [syrialiveuamap], 1500 at Hajin and 5000+ in Ar Raqqah and Al Hasakah. Not women and children you rude MORON, just fighters. Isis running away and giving up the fight, it must be a different bunch of mad fanatics you’re talking about, the Isis I know usually fight to the last man, yours run away do they. Isis regroups, it never retreats, the only other option is death, no retirement, that’s what religious fanatics do, they’ve had 4 months to regroup now. The ones that got away got away with nearly all their weapons, both light and heavy, the SDF captured bugger all heavy weapons, tanks and artillery and the like, that either means it’s been hidden away very well, [hard to hide tanks and artillery] or they didn’t have much here to begin with, but they did, they must have had heaps here. If you ask why just remember, tons and tons of equipment, weapons and vehicles was captured here by Isis at the very beginning of their incursion, it hasn’t all been blown up and destroyed, it’s out there somewhere still, unless of course they sold it to pay for prostitutes or maybe just gave it back to Assad. Who’s fighting Isis now, not the Kurds, show me one article from anyone anywhere that tells you the Kurds have been fighting Isis anywhere for the last 3 weeks, you won’t because they’re not, they’re on strike and only killing Turks now. The SDF may be fighting Isis for the US but they haven’t got a single Kurd that’s fighting Isis for them, it’s just Arabs and Christians doing the fighting at Hajin now, and that’s why the US is bombing so relentlessly. I say they only have a total of 1700 Arab and Christian SDF at Hajin now with no Kurds fighting Isis there at all, let’s see if I turn out to look as stupid as you think I am when we get some more info from the Syrian government. I don’t need to wait for more info, I’m smart enough to work it out for myself. The US isn’t overestimating Isis numbers, they’re desperately trying to hide the fact the Kurds aren’t helping them at all, the Kurds are just looking after their own interests at the moment, and also making the US squirm. Everyone calls the Kurds stupid, and they may have been until now, but I can see they’ve suddenly gotten a whole lot smarter over the last 3 weeks, a lot smarter than the US is at least, and you too for that matter.
That’s a lot of material ! ISIS “fighters” 5000+ in Ar Raqqah and Al Hasakah claimed by SDF. These numbers are BULL SHIT ! Kurds just want more 200 truck convoys, and the US coalition is more than happy with the status quo.
You’re a moron that’s not bull shit. Go back to the LGBTQI articles you’re used to reading and troll your own kind, if you keep trolling me I’ll end up making you cry like a little girl. “the US coalition is more than happy with the status quo” If that’s the case Moron, it means they’ve started killing civilians just for the hell of it, how many reports just lately telling us how many civilians are being killed at Hajin by US airstrikes, SF keeps telling us half of the civilian casualties are children, but the US is happy with the status quo, yeah and men can turn into women and women into men, but only in the world you live in not mine. Status Quo, LOL, what a moron you really are.
And why can’t you hold a simple discussion without insulting people? You seem to be a bit pissed off Willing Conscience (or non truth). Hasta la vista :)
PZIVJ… If your postings attract short dismissive messages, see it as a compliment. It means that someone desperately wants to invest time in countering your point of view but cannot find good arguments.
23 of nov in South Front — On November 22, ISIS fighters in the middle Euphrates River Valley launched a large offensive on positions of the US-led coalition and its proxy, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), around the al-Tanak oil field in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).The UK-based monitoring group said that ISIS was planning to reach the oil field and attack a base of the US-led coalition there. The terrorist group’s fighters managed to penetrate the SDF’s first line of defense around the field after targeting it with two suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs). However, SDF fighters in the second line of defense, backed by coalition warplanes, managed to defend their positions.
“US-led coalition warplanes began conducting intense airstrikes on positions and gatherings of ISIS around al-Tanak oil field … The air strikes continued until 8 am today,” the SOHR said in its report.
The SDF has not commented on the SOHR’s report so far. However, the ISIS-linked news agency released several photos of the terrorist group’s fighters attacking positions of US-backed forces in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside.
The new attack once again confirms that ISIS is still capable of carrying out effective defensive and offensive operations against US-backed forces in the Euphrates Valley.
The Daesh attack was turned back, they like to try hit and run for new supplies. I apologize for being rude about their numbers, but I just don’t see it as fact.
Apology accepted, please accept mine, I was also rude. The Kurds won’t let Isis take any oilfields but they will let them take a few Arab villages and towns. The Kurds are on strike to blackmail Trump, letting Isis run amok for a while suites their purpose.
You are stupid you are a kurk traitor
I don’t like or dislike Kurds, I don’t like or dislike Turks, I despise both Erdogan and the Kurdish political leadership equally, and you.
23 of nov in South Front — On November 22, ISIS fighters in the middle Euphrates River Valley launched a large offensive on positions of the US-led coalition and its proxy, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), around the al-Tanak oil field in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).The UK-based monitoring group said that ISIS was planning to reach the oil field and attack a base of the US-led coalition there. The terrorist group’s fighters managed to penetrate the SDF’s first line of defense around the field after targeting it with two suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs). However, SDF fighters in the second line of defense, backed by coalition warplanes, managed to defend their positions.
“US-led coalition warplanes began conducting intense airstrikes on positions and gatherings of ISIS around al-Tanak oil field … The air strikes continued until 8 am today,” the SOHR said in its report.
The SDF has not commented on the SOHR’s report so far. However, the ISIS-linked news agency released several photos of the terrorist group’s fighters attacking positions of US-backed forces in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside.
The new attack once again confirms that ISIS is still capable of carrying out effective defensive and offensive operations against US-backed forces in the Euphrates Valley.
you are one clueless idiot
lol look at that butthurt turk that cant face the truth…you turks are screwed sooner or later…you will die by thousands cant you see?
mad dog .
“4600 ISIS fighters here in Ar Raqqa and Al Hasakah, hiding somewhere.” Where are they hiding under the rubble in Al Raqqa or are they all in Hasaka. “numerous … attacks on Kurdish forces by unknown elements”, yes blame ISIS, but really they are Arabs and Christians unhappy with Kurdish “democracy”. Sad to say but your sounding like you work for CENTCOM. At least “Morning Star was straight up.
Ar Raqqah 19,616 km2 Al Hasakah 23,334 km2 4600 fighters could easily hide out in 5000 km2, 10 X that amount could hide out in these 2 governorates alone 43,000 km2, but I’m sure they’re also in northern and western Dier ez Zor, as well as northeast Homs, ‘maybe’ even western Aleppo. There’s a lot of small farms and communities in these areas, especially Al Hasakah, and lots of out of the way rural areas, as well as lots of desolate desert and mountainous areas, perfect for Isis. Have you forgotten they’ve done it all before, this is where they made some of their earliest inroads into Syria, and this is also where they had the most support from the local Arab populations anywhere at all in Syria [except southeast], and after being here so many years [nearly 4 in some areas] Isis knows the people and places in these regions like the back of their own hands [the ones who like them and the ones that don’t], but you think they’d find it hard to hide out in the supportive villages and the desolate uninhabited areas, I disagree completely, I think they’re still there with all their tanks and heavy weapons. The only large unified fighting force in the area [apart from Isis] are the Kurds, and they’re on strike due to Erdogan’s invasion and concentrating on the western and northern areas now preparing for the Turks, I’d say the conditions are just about perfect for Isis to make a second attempt at taking back territory up here. The Kurds aren’t out there looking for Isis now, they’re out looking for Turks instead. Show me anywhere at all in Syria where the Kurds are fighting Isis right now, it’s not at Hajin, they’re all Arab and Christian SDF, not Kurdish SDF. they’re ONLY fighting the Turks and their proxies. Attacks against the SAA in northern Deir ez Zor increased soon after the US took control of the north, and as you think I wrongly state, let 4600 Isis fighters escape. Arabs attacking the Kurds , for sure, but Christians attacking the Kurds, that’s a stretch, sort of like biting the hand that feeds you. The Arabs might prefer Assad to Trump but I’m pretty sure it’s not the same for the Christians, they don’t like the Kurds very much, but they’d much prefer Trump over Assad.
23 of nov in South Front —- On November 22, ISIS fighters in the middle Euphrates River Valley launched a large offensive on positions of the US-led coalition and its proxy, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), around the al-Tanak oil field in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).The UK-based monitoring group said that ISIS was planning to reach the oil field and attack a base of the US-led coalition there. The terrorist group’s fighters managed to penetrate the SDF’s first line of defense around the field after targeting it with two suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs). However, SDF fighters in the second line of defense, backed by coalition warplanes, managed to defend their positions.
“US-led coalition warplanes began conducting intense airstrikes on positions and gatherings of ISIS around al-Tanak oil field … The air strikes continued until 8 am today,” the SOHR said in its report.
The SDF has not commented on the SOHR’s report so far. However, the ISIS-linked news agency released several photos of the terrorist group’s fighters attacking positions of US-backed forces in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside.
The new attack once again confirms that ISIS is still capable of carrying out effective defensive and offensive operations against US-backed forces in the Euphrates Valley.
THE LAST PART IS MOST RELEVANT.
Israel Secret Intelligence Services – funded, asisted and trained by the US. Now why is the Turkish/Syrian border so important to the US? Who were never invited to invade Syria?
It’s important because Trump doesn’t want to take the chance that a war will break out between the Turks and the Kurds, the Kurds have already killed at least 100 Turkish soldiers as well as heaps of their proxies, probably close to 5 or 6 hundred proxies, but the fact there’s at least 100 Turks dead already tells us they’re going for the eyes in this fight. 100 dead Turks compared to 500 dead proxies, that’s what happens when the Kurds are going for the Turks more than they are the proxies,, really it should be 5 dead Turks and 1000 dead proxies, but they want a war with Turkey, and the best way to do that is by killing heaps of Turks. Trumps trying to stop it by putting up a fence LOL.
Sad moron
Your brothers and sisters are going to hang Erdogan from a tree by the time this war in Syria is over.
Washington and Israel both are evils and losers. Washington looking to Russia but Russia have been invited by Syrians while Washington and Israel have secretly entered into Syria while disgusting themselves as ISIS.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8efa48bab498b0042811ba9f24f922b930614c19773cd2c1386ad41f2005e43e.jpg
Poo-tin invited these western comrades.
“…in order to address Turkey’s “legitimate” concerns about “terror threats” in northeastern Syria”
yeah it must be fab to take it upon yourself to address another nation’s concerns..
No doubt, Russia will set up observation posts, on Mexico/US border, owing to concerns about US conduct, where the caravans are concerned.
Could you imagine the hysteria, coming from the media and Washington DC, if Russia was to do similar?
Just when you thought the “justifications” for the illegal US presence in Syria couldn’t get anymore bizarre. They do. Now the US is claiming that it has to be there to prevent the secessionists it is arming from attacking a NATO member that it is obligated to protect. Where it has nuclear weapons stored.
Is it any wonder that the US legislature funding this insanity has a single digit approval rating. And the voters put a political novice in the highest office because he campaigned against this type of thing?
Thanks Putin, that you allowed this for companero mattis.
shoot yourself in the head
better poo-tin