Click to see full-size image, By the Official Twitter account of the International Coalition for Operation Inherent Resolve.
On August 30, US-led coalition warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on several ISIS positions on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, including the area of the al-Azraq oil field in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR).
A day earlier, several ISIS fighters attacked positions of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) around the al-Azraq oil field. However, SDF fighters, backed by US-led coalition warplanes, repelled the attack.
According to the SOHR, the US-led coalition and the SDF deployed several units around the ISIS-held pocket on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River over the last few days. Most of the units were stationed east of the town of Hajin, which is the last major stronghold of the terrorist group in Syria.
These developments indicate that the US-led coalition and the SDF are planning to launch their offensive on ISIS there in upcoming few weeks. Local observers believe that US-backed forces will face a notable resistance from the remaining members of the terrorist group if they get no open corridor to withdraw this time.
Will someone please explain why, in some instances, the US forces are used against ISIS and in other instances, the US have sent in helicopters to extract ISIS officers and their families? From where exactly are those officers, and to whom are they loyal?
Is Islamic State a US asset or not? If yes, what is the intended use for IS in the short, medium and long term?
Because the whole story about ‘helicopters extracting ISIS people’ is a fable. Like the Yeti, the Loch Ness monster, Atlantis, UFO’s at Roswell, Western operatives in East Aleppo and East Ghoata there’s a lot of talk about it, but zero credible evidence. And the reason for that I think is simple. A lot of people here hate the US. They also hate ISIS. ISIS is being seen as a creation of the US and Israel against Assad. But the US also supports the Kurds against ISIS and bombs it mercilessly. This creates cognitive dissonance, where you are faced with two irreconcilable facts that run counter to your narrative. So you then create your own narrative that waves those facts away and all is well in the world again. Somebody says something about unmarked helicopters spiriting away ISIS officers, one rumor in a sea of rumors that we have today, all thanks to social media, and BAM! It gets picked up as it fits into the narrative that ISIS is a US creation.
Is Islamic State a US asset? I highly doubt it. Contrary to conspiracy thinking, stuff does happen that is outside the control of major players. Especially in the vacuum of a civil war, like in Syria (and I define civil war in this case as a war solely inside that country). The rise of IS is perfectly explainable without having to resort to conspiracy thinking that NOTHING ever happens on its own and EVERYTHING has to be orchestrated by the US and Israel. Was IS used by the US? Undoubtedly. The US saw IS as a useful tool against Assad, just like it saw Al Nusra as a useful tool against Assad. And they never dropped a single bomb on IS when it was attacking Assad’s forces. Did they support IS militarily, logistically and with intelligence? Probably not directly. But they weren’t that diligent in making sure that the weapons and intelligence they supplied to the ‘moderate’ opposition’ in Syria were not passed on to IS. Methinks they were probably also unpleasantly surprised when IS invaded Iraq. And they probably did conduct air strikes to support IS at Deir Ezzor in what was it, late 2016, which almost caused the enclave to fall. Because I doubt anyone can conduct a 45 minute long airstrike in this day and age of modern communications and navigation and not realize they are attacking the wrong people. Not even the US Chair Force. So yeah, occasional indirect support when it suited their purposes, as in the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But a direct US creation and asset? No way! And also impossible because IS would not let itself be controlled by anyone but itself. Trying to control IS is like making a deal with the devil, or trying to get your 3 wishes from a Djinn without getting screwed. Do so at your own peril.
The US was caught by surprise at the rise of ISIS in Iraq and their rapid expansion thru that country and into Syria. You should be able to find online the CIA’s study of the group made shortly later, where they concluded it was a criminal enterprise created by former generals in Saddam’s army and were using extreme Islamic ideology to gain recruits. Their sole intent was to gain wealth for themselves that would wind up in banks around the World were they could freely access it since the former generals didn’t have plans to stick around inside Iraq nor Syria. You should find some more studies done a year later that analyzed the ISIS economy and how their little caliphate would fail within a few years due to it, which has happened.
The US has flown in helicopters a few times to extract ISIS commanders that were working for the CIA and others that realized they were being abandoned or were abandoned by ISIS leaders so managed to make contact with US/Coalition forces to get picked up somewhere in exchange for information. I recall the US getting 4-5 commanders from Tabqa and Raqqa one night on the highway near May’adan then more recently, west of Tell Safouk by the Iraqi border. They were in charge of the ISIS units in Southern Hasakah who got wiped out in short order after they left.
Today, the SDF is building up strength outside Hajin because the desert east of that city is the only real escape route for the trapped ISIS units. They can’t cross the river, they can’t go south nor to the east south of Hajin due to the terrain. That is an agricultural region so the SDF may be waiting until harvest season is over. I believe the Idlib offensives are being delayed for the same reason. That way the residents will have something to eat while the fighting rages around them.
This is what I believe.
There is more than one faction within the US and they are battling each other and have been for a long time. This is why the US response looks schizophrenic. The government that is no longer in power is continuing to support ISIS, and the current government is not.
I hope that someone else can give you a better answer.
If Daesh are a US asset, why then have they attacked the US numerous times over the years?
Has this report been verified?. The US spent years pounding holes in the desert, claiming to be fighting terrorism while in realitu, supporting the terrorists.