Colonel Ryan Dillon, the U.S.-led coalition spokesman in Syria, said Tuesday that coalition forces exchanged fire with presumed Turkish-backed rebels near Manbij in northern Syria while patrolling the area. Coalition forces that have been “conducting patrols in the area to keep tensions down received fire multiple times over the course of the last two weeks,” Dillon told CNN. He also noted that Turkish-backed rebels firing on coalition forces “is not acceptable,” and that they had “let our counterparts in Turkey know this and we continue to conduct these patrols but are always prepared and ready to defend ourselves in that area.” The incident occurred roughly as U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited Turkey to meet with the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Dillon also made clear that Turkish soldiers were not directly involved in the recent attacks on U.S. personnel.
The Cipher Take:
The U.S.-led coalition forces include European support for the air war against ISIS as well as some 300 U.S. special operations forces and 400 U.S. Marines. The coalition backs the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a local alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias fighting against ISIS in Syria’s northwest. Turkey, a U.S. strategic partner in the region, has a long history of conflict with what they call Kurdish separatists – particularly the YPG, the main component of the SDF. Turkish-backed rebels, which originated as forces opposing the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and SDF have exchanged small arms and artillery fire in the northern parts of Syria before, and Turkey has previously backed the fighters with its own tanks, air force, and special operations forces – though not in this instance. Coalition forces often conduct “overt patrols” in the area to deter clashes and play the role of peacekeeper between the parties. The incident highlights the complexity of the Syrian conflict with U.S.-backed forces clashing with Turkish-backed forces as well as the Russian-backed Syrian military, all of which are battling ISIS near Raqqa, the terrorist group’s stronghold and capital.
https://www.thecipherbrief.com
Στρατιώτες του Διεθνούς Συνασπισμού, που υπό την ηγεσία των ΗΠΑ επιχειρεί στη Συρία και το Ιράκ, δέχτηκαν πυρά από ισλαμιστές μισθοφόρους της Τουρκίας κοντά στην υπό κουρδικό έλεγχο πόλη Μανμπίζ στη βορειοδυτική Συρία και τα ανταπέδωσαν, έκανε γνωστό την Τρίτη ο εκπρόσωπος του Συνασπισμού, ο συνταγματάρχης Ράιαν Ντίλον. Το περιστατικό συνέβη κατά την διάρκεια περιπολίας που διεξήγαγαν οι Αμερικανοί Ρέιντζερς κοντά σε περιοχές που ελέγχονται από ισλαμιστές μισθοφόρους που τελούν υπό τουρκική στρατιωτική διοίκηση.
«Οι δυνάμεις μας δέχτηκαν πυρά, ανταπέδωσαν και έπειτα μετακινήθηκαν σε ασφαλή τοποθεσία. Γνωστοποιήσαμε το περιστατικό στους ομολόγους μας στην Τουρκία και θα συνεχίσουμε να διεξάγουμε περιπολίες κι είμαστε διαρκώς προετοιμασμένοι και έτοιμοι να υπερασπιστούμε τους εαυτούς μας σε αυτή την περιοχή», δήλωσε ο συνταγματάρχης Ντίλον ως εκπρόσωπος τύπου του Διεθνούς συνασπισμού, σε τηλεφωνική συνομιλία.
American troops deployed in Syria have exchanged fire with rebels that were until recently supported by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. In 2013, soon after the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, the then-US President Barack Obama instructed the Central Intelligence Agency to provide covert support to fighters in Syria. Acting on the president’s directive, the CIA promptly joined forces with spy agencies from Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to assist fighters affiliated with the Free Syrian Army. At that time, Washington saw the Free Syrian Army and forces affiliated with it as ideologically moderate. It also agreed with the group’s main aim, which was to topple the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Under the project, which was codenamed TIMBER SYCAMORE, CIA personnel trained Free Syrian Army fighters in irregular warfare, while also providing them with light weaponry including machine guns, sniper rifles and off-road vehicles. But on July 19 of this year, US President Donald Trump abruptly ended the CIA program, which he called “dangerous and wasteful”. It soon became apparent that many Free Syrian Army soldiers approached Turkey, seeking financial income and protection. By early August, there were reports from Syria that large groups of former Free Syrian Army troops were conducting raids in northern Syria in coordination with the Turkish military.
Early on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Combined Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve told reporters that US troops in Syria had come under fire by Turkish-commanded former Free Syrian Army units. The spokesman told reporters in Kuwait City that the rebels shot at US troops in the outskirts of Manbij, a northern Syrian city of about 70,000, located a few miles from the Turkish border. The American soldiers reportedly returned fire before seeking shelter from the assault. According to the US Pentagon, the Turkish government was promptly contacted by Inherent Resolve commanders, who described the incident as “not acceptable”. Washington alleges that its troops have come under fire “multiple times” in the past month. Some of the culprits are believed to be Turkish-controlled Syrian insurgents, including former members of the Free Syrian Army. Turkey and the US are member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. But the two countries do not follow a common policy on Syria. The US Pentagon supports Kurdish insurgents in Syria, which Turkey claims are connected with Kurdish separatists inside Turkey. Washington’s official position on Kurdish separatists is that they engage in terrorism against the Turkish state.
Joseph Fitsanakis
https://intelnews.org/2017/08/30/01-2166/
The Cipher Take:
The U.S.-led coalition forces include European support for the air war against ISIS as well as some 300 U.S. special operations forces and 400 U.S. Marines. The coalition backs the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a local alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias fighting against ISIS in Syria’s northwest. Turkey, a U.S. strategic partner in the region, has a long history of conflict with what they call Kurdish separatists – particularly the YPG, the main component of the SDF. Turkish-backed rebels, which originated as forces opposing the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and SDF have exchanged small arms and artillery fire in the northern parts of Syria before, and Turkey has previously backed the fighters with its own tanks, air force, and special operations forces – though not in this instance. Coalition forces often conduct “overt patrols” in the area to deter clashes and play the role of peacekeeper between the parties. The incident highlights the complexity of the Syrian conflict with U.S.-backed forces clashing with Turkish-backed forces as well as the Russian-backed Syrian military, all of which are battling ISIS near Raqqa, the terrorist group’s stronghold and capital.
https://www.thecipherbrief.com
Στρατιώτες του Διεθνούς Συνασπισμού, που υπό την ηγεσία των ΗΠΑ επιχειρεί στη Συρία και το Ιράκ, δέχτηκαν πυρά από ισλαμιστές μισθοφόρους της Τουρκίας κοντά στην υπό κουρδικό έλεγχο πόλη Μανμπίζ στη βορειοδυτική Συρία και τα ανταπέδωσαν, έκανε γνωστό την Τρίτη ο εκπρόσωπος του Συνασπισμού, ο συνταγματάρχης Ράιαν Ντίλον. Το περιστατικό συνέβη κατά την διάρκεια περιπολίας που διεξήγαγαν οι Αμερικανοί Ρέιντζερς κοντά σε περιοχές που ελέγχονται από ισλαμιστές μισθοφόρους που τελούν υπό τουρκική στρατιωτική διοίκηση.
«Οι δυνάμεις μας δέχτηκαν πυρά, ανταπέδωσαν και έπειτα μετακινήθηκαν σε ασφαλή τοποθεσία. Γνωστοποιήσαμε το περιστατικό στους ομολόγους μας στην Τουρκία και θα συνεχίσουμε να διεξάγουμε περιπολίες κι είμαστε διαρκώς προετοιμασμένοι και έτοιμοι να υπερασπιστούμε τους εαυτούς μας σε αυτή την περιοχή», δήλωσε ο συνταγματάρχης Ντίλον ως εκπρόσωπος τύπου του Διεθνούς συνασπισμού, σε τηλεφωνική συνομιλία.
American troops deployed in Syria have exchanged fire with rebels that were until recently supported by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. In 2013, soon after the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, the then-US President Barack Obama instructed the Central Intelligence Agency to provide covert support to fighters in Syria. Acting on the president’s directive, the CIA promptly joined forces with spy agencies from Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to assist fighters affiliated with the Free Syrian Army. At that time, Washington saw the Free Syrian Army and forces affiliated with it as ideologically moderate. It also agreed with the group’s main aim, which was to topple the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Under the project, which was codenamed TIMBER SYCAMORE, CIA personnel trained Free Syrian Army fighters in irregular warfare, while also providing them with light weaponry including machine guns, sniper rifles and off-road vehicles. But on July 19 of this year, US President Donald Trump abruptly ended the CIA program, which he called “dangerous and wasteful”. It soon became apparent that many Free Syrian Army soldiers approached Turkey, seeking financial income and protection. By early August, there were reports from Syria that large groups of former Free Syrian Army troops were conducting raids in northern Syria in coordination with the Turkish military.
Early on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Combined Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve told reporters that US troops in Syria had come under fire by Turkish-commanded former Free Syrian Army units. The spokesman told reporters in Kuwait City that the rebels shot at US troops in the outskirts of Manbij, a northern Syrian city of about 70,000, located a few miles from the Turkish border. The American soldiers reportedly returned fire before seeking shelter from the assault. According to the US Pentagon, the Turkish government was promptly contacted by Inherent Resolve commanders, who described the incident as “not acceptable”. Washington alleges that its troops have come under fire “multiple times” in the past month. Some of the culprits are believed to be Turkish-controlled Syrian insurgents, including former members of the Free Syrian Army. Turkey and the US are member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. But the two countries do not follow a common policy on Syria. The US Pentagon supports Kurdish insurgents in Syria, which Turkey claims are connected with Kurdish separatists inside Turkey. Washington’s official position on Kurdish separatists is that they engage in terrorism against the Turkish state.
Joseph Fitsanakis
https://intelnews.org/2017/08/30/01-2166/
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