US Destroys Former Syria Base, Leaves More Cities

US levels base near Kobane in 'show of force'

US forces continue to withdraw from Syria, and on their way out the door are trying to take various measures to either destroy facilities or to spite Russian troops who are moving in.

One former US base, near Kobane, has been totally destroyed by US airstrikes. Some officials presented this as a “show of force,” though against whom was unclear. This base was the one the US accused Turkey of bracketing with artillery fire early in the invasion.

Another US base, near Manbij, was not destroyed in time. The US stripped it of gear, and left it for Russia. The US also drew crude pictures of penises on the walls, along with insulting phrases.

The US coalition also issued a statement on Wednesday reporting that they’d withdrawn from the cities of Tabqah and Raqqa. US forces also left a cement factory belonging to Lafarge.

Where the US troops are ending up is so far unclear. Though analysts have said they expect the US to ultimately leave Syria entirely, officials have said they will keep troops in the region to potentially move against ISIS in the future, if ISIS becomes a thing again.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.