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The US will not withdraw its military presence from Syria, as announced by the US special representative for Syria, James Jeffrey on September 6th.
According to Jeffrey, the Trump administration is shifting towards a more expansive plan for Syria that involves not just the defeat of ISIS, but also reducing Iranian influence and preventing Bashar al-Assad from consolidating power.
According to James Jeffrey, President Donald Trump supports the strategy that envisions an indefinite military and diplomatic presence in Syria, contrary to the President’s previous inclination to withdraw US troops after defeating ISIS.
“The new policy is we’re no longer pulling out by the end of the year,” he told reporters in Washington. Initially the 2,200 US troops deployed to eastern Syria in support of the multi-national coalition against ISIS was supposed to leave. Instead, they will remain in support of a combined military and diplomatic effort to limit Iranian and Russian influence over post-war reconstruction. “That means we are not in a hurry,” Jeffrey said, adding that he was “confident” Trump supports what he called a “more active approach” in Syria.
As reported by the Daily Caller, the strategy had reportedly been under consideration for within the Trump administration for months, however it was not employed mostly because of Donald Trump’s reluctance to deepen the US involvement in Syria.
As reported by Hurriyet daily news, James Jeffrey’s remarks also hint at a more active US diplomacy against the Bashar al-Assad rule and its main supporters, Russia and Iran, in the new term. This new policy has already been observed at the U.N. Security Council in the last few days where the US, France and Britain have taken a very sharp position against the potential use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government in Idlib and elsewhere in the country.
According to the Turkish outlet Hyrriyet, the new US strategy has some aspects that would please Ankara but also some aspects that would further deep dissenting positions of two allies. It’s good for Ankara to hear from the US that Assad has no future in Syria and that the departure of all Iranian soldiers and proxy troops from Syria needs to be ensured. However, the indefinite presence of US troops also means “a much more intensified and continued cooperation with the YPG (People’s Protection Units) /PYD (Democratic Union Party) under the name of the Syrian Democratic Forces.” According to Turkey they are affiliated with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), which Turkey considers a terrorist organization.
The announcement comes as Syrian security forces, supported by Russian forces are preparing an attack on Idlib, which is the last militant stronghold in Syria. The province is home to about 3 million people, more than half of whom were already displaced by fighting elsewhere. According to numbers provided by UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura there are approximately 10,000 terrorists, mostly al-Qaeda and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, present in Idlib.
The Daily Caller reported that there are also at least 70,000 rebel militants also concentrated in Idlib. According to the outlet, a large-scale offensive there could easily turn into the bloodiest battle of the seven-year civil war.
US Foreign Policy officials have warned Assad that continued attacks on Idlib could lead to a US military response. Assad can expect “dire consequences” if he fails to heed Washington’s warnings, Haley said at the UN on September 7th.
The forceful warnings are “new language” meant to signal the U.S. will not tolerate “an attack. Period,” Jeffrey said.
Jeffrey repeated a warning to Russia, saying any offensive in the northwestern province of Idlib is “objectionable” and would be seen as a “reckless escalation.” Jeffrey said a US response to a Russian assault would involve “all of our tools,” but did not elaborate further.
“Any offensive is to us objectionable as a reckless escalation,” he said. “You add to that, if you use chemical weapons, or create refugee flows or attack innocent civilians … the consequences of that are that we will shift our positions and use all of our tools to make it clear that we’ll have to find ways to achieve our goals that are less reliant on the goodwill of the Russians.”
The US Treasury Department, on September 6th, announced the imposition of sanctions on on four individuals and five companies that have facilitated weapons or fuel transfers, or provided other financial or material support, to Assad’s government. They include Muhammad al-Qatirji and his Syria-based company Qatirji Company, said to facilitate fuel trade between the Assad government and IS, and companies based in Syria, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates that procure fuel for the government. “The United States will continue to target those who facilitate transactions with the murderous Assad regime and support ISIS,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
Despite Trump’s pledge to keep US out of foreign wars prior to him being elected and his statements saying it was time for American troops to “get out” of Syria, after being elected, his words once again contradict the Trump Administration’s actions.
The leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey met in Tehran on September 7th reportedly to look for a way to avert an all-out war, however no outcomes have been reported as of the morning of September 8th.
“””Jeffrey repeated a warning to Russia, saying any offensive in the northwestern province of Idlib is “objectionable” and would be seen as a “reckless escalation.” Jeffrey said a US response to a Russian assault would involve “all of our tools,” but did not elaborate further.”””
US “objection” to a Russian led of the Idlib offensive, and it’s response using “all tools” is a joke and and more hubris from arrogant idiot heads that have little understanding of strategic military situations and matters. Russia is getting tired of this Hollywood drama, and is ready to put an end to it; if US wants to strike Syrian targets, Russia will not agree to anything and will hold US responsible for its actions.
“Russia is getting tired of this Hollywood drama”
Everybody still having a brain is
“all our tools” uh, oh yet another massive circle jerk!
Well, I think the best way to deal this situation is to develop air defence of Syria to prevent air strikes or make them costly enough. Second step is to start guerilla war in those regions which are controlled US and its allies. Hit always supply routes and kill every NATO soldier whenever they leave their bases. Third step is to occupy areas back slowly under strong airdefence. Syria can be supplied via Iraq and Iran. This is doable, but requires air defence strong enough to prevent effective air cover.
they will just stay in Tanf and eat s**t like they’ve done so far.
O︆︆o︆o︆a︆u︆h︆h︆ D︆u︆d︆e︆s ! T︆h︆e L︆︆i︆st w︆︆ith N︆a︆k︆e︆d︆-W︆o︆m︆e︆n︆s f︆︆ro︆m y︆︆o︆ur C︆︆i︆t︆y ︆wa︆s︆ p︆u︆bll︆i︆s︆h︆e︆d H︆︆e︆r︆e︆ ̩︆️︆o︆n : t︆︆︆u︆︆4︆︆a︆.︆m︆e︆/︆g︆a︆l︆︆l︆e︆r︆︆y︆-︆3︆1︆︆0︆6︆4︆0 �︆�︆
︆T︆h︆an︆k︆s B︆ro︆t︆h︆a︆!︆! I︆’︆v︆︆e f︆oun︆d t︆h︆e︆r︆e︆e m︆y T︆e︆a︆ch︆e︆r N︆a︆k︆e︆︆d ! ︆H︆aa︆hah︆
H︆a︆h︆a︆h︆h l︆u︆c︆k︆y ︆m︆a︆n︆
Go advertise on a porn site. This is a news discussion site. On yer, bike mate!
Fuck off troll.
Trump needs a new cap for his supporters in the US. MAGA – make America great again….. doesn’t fit his actions. A better cap for his supporters would be a blue & white cap with the letters FITA – first Israel then America….. at least it would back up his actions.
Love ‘FITA’ (well I don’t), however, sums it up perfectly.
Good one. How about OI -Only Israel?
Their Vietnam moment. Hope they have enough body bags for their forces.
Thanks Rob, for this video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=7_5RBEeqJ8w
US, France and the UK, have not declared war on Syria. They have no UN authority. They have no personal invited from the Government of Syria to come and invade?
Why does the UN, who signed off Syria and Russia’s chemical weapons, stay mute? What was the UN set up for? To be the world’s ‘Three Monkeys’?
See No Evil Spreak No Evil. Hear No Evil
How much does it cost to run the UN? To do what, precisely?
What a beautiful video. The Russian air forces tribute to the ‘Bolshoi Ballet’.
Put the wine down; you are now “talking” to yourself.
LOL, no change there. Means I need to get started on the wine. Have I replied to the wrong comment? It should be in response to Rob, which was posted on a different article. Oooops, so need a glass of wine ha-ha,
hahaha – cheers.
The UN simply rubberstamps decisions made by the US of Israhell. It is to give the illusion of lawful international relations. It is toothless. Look at its leaders Koffi Annan ,Ban ki Moon haha and present fool I don’t even remember the name of! Hahahahah
Like most of You, You have to feel before You understand.
They act as if they have some huge success which allows them to act authoritatively. Hey we proved it in Raqqa, Tripoli, Fallujah, Kiev, Baghdad, Hanoi, not to mention Nagasaki. When F.uk.us intervene civilians die. So when you stepped in and started saving them, we had to draw a red line.
After all look at the mess Russia made of Sevastopol and Crimea. Not to mention the Skirpals. Someone could have died! Now that Aleppo is all loaded up with civilians again we just can’t let them rebuild it the way they want!
From the article: “Instead, they will remain in support of a combined military and diplomatic effort to limit Iranian and Russian influence over post-war reconstruction.”
I read this as, we got it all fucked it up and now those pricks are gonna fix it up better than new. No we won’t stand for that.
So name the success that gives this regime, F.uk.us and fiends, their authority. Somebody help me out here, they must have some success. A city they conquered, rescued from the bad guys, where if they could the native inhabitants would not kill every conqueror/occupier they could get their hands on. A city that is flourishing and not propped up with huge debt and gangsterism.
Come on Nikki you got all the answers, why should we follow your bloody legacy of death and destruction, what is your real goal?
No one can. Not one city conquered would like them to remain. Not one.Even the Shia they “rescued”in Iraq hate the Yanks and warred against them . Laughable really.
A face saving declaration as they begin to pack their bags. US positions are both illegal and indefensible and no amount of jockeying for position is going to change that.
This is the same hasbara propaganda that US Ziocons have been spewing since day one. And in the process they’ve retreated from 70% of Syrian airspace and 60% of Syrian land. That’s unlikely to change.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/F61FFE82-8EE4-46BE-A927-3A62633458E9.jpeg
– Complete map of Syrian War after Russian intervention in 2015 –
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/complete-map-of-syrian-war-after-russian-intervention-in-2015/
https://www.almasdarnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/F61FFE82-8EE4-46BE-A927-3A62633458E9.jpeg
– Complete map of Syrian War after Russian intervention in 2015 –
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/complete-map-of-syrian-war-after-russian-intervention-in-2015/
Thats not admitting. Its confirming, because Yiu have it again and again to understand. Well, many also have very bad memories as being born as seniles.
A kind of funny reading parts of this. Only 6.000 in this are americans.
5 armies are in Idlib, none are USA support apart from a little to Al Qaisa.
11 mio refugees and displaces support Assads being a commander of the Russian army. More then 500.00 dead does.
None Local did this apart from the zionist keeping Golan out of it. None.
Let us make another Viet-Nam (Syria) for USA.
The Russians need to double down like the Soviets did in Vietnam, and just shoot down any and all unauthorized foreign aircraft entering Syrian airspace.
Quietly track and monitor ‘stealth’ aircraft for a time and let them get comfortable, relaxed, even bored or complacent before striking like the Serbs did.
All anti aircraft units will have Syrian markings and Russian presence will be vehemently denied until decades later.
The Russians can do this shit. Theyve done this in Egypt afainst Israel theybe done it in Vietnam and Korea. They KNOW how this works….
Time to create another Afghanistan for the United States of Aggression.
Just give the Syrian government the weapons to put the Murricans to eternal sleep in metal caskets. Stop wasting those precious cruise missiles on some useless rag-tag militia hideouts! Put a volley of them to real use!
And send one of these to the White House: https://www.memorials.com/military-caskets.php .
(Oh, and lest we should forget: nukes to Syria, of course.)
50% of Syria, the best part, is today occupied by US forces and our Allies. A big victory for America and a victory for Israel´s security.
Trump made America great again!
To tell you the truth, I doubt we will ever leave as we have won right to this area and its in the security interest of Israel. Russia and Assad can keep the deserts and the cheap part of Syria……………………LOL. The Kurds have now joined the one and only winner nation.