With playing up the “threat” of ISIS remaining a top priority, commander Frank McKenzie warned on Wednesday that ISIS remnants are rebuilding in Western Syria with little the US can do to move against them.
McKenzie says that Western Syria is “as bad or worse” than it was when ISIS formed there in the first place, though historically ISIS came out of Iraq into Syria, and didn’t just form in a bad part of war-torn Syria.
The US has removed troops from Syria, and is concentrating just on controlling an oilfield therein. The rest of the area, almost all of which was ISIS Caliphate in recent years, is controlled by either the Syrian government or Turkish forces.
This narrative lets McKenzie fault Syria for not doing more, and keeps the story out there that the US troops are doing something ISIS related, a main military talking point for staying.
ISIS was gone once Mohammed bin Nayaf was removed from Crown Prince job. He funded “war on terror” by funding islamists of all brands. Apparently, there are charges against him being brought now, but for corruption.
It is not clear where ISIS could be in Syria? It is not a huge country? There is only one pocket left in Western Syria and that is White Helmet friends, former Al-Qaeda, now HTS. Is he confusing the two? But then — there was always media condemnation when anyone tried to root them out.
ISIS is gone. Somebody would know about its existence by now.
We have recruited the cream of the crop of former ISIS loyalists to go in and get Assad. After they complete this assignment and Syria gets carved up into the sections that we want it to be we will ask them if they are interested in continuing on into Iran.
It is all so much more exciting as this cream of the crop is operating with invisibility shield — thus not seen by anyone in Syria. Super duper technology!
Ol boot can see em in his head
The operation hasn’t been physically released yet. We need to combine our expertise with the top ISIS commanders input. Even the worst of the worst of ISIS of whom most have been eliminated say that Assad crimes of gassing his own people who opposed him was ten times worse than anything ISIS ever dreamed of doing. The top commanders that are left that we hired are dedicated to the cause of removing him and want us to hand him over to them when he is captured.
ISIS exists wherever the marketing boys at Langley say they exist.
And sadly, they can say any inanity with impunity — there is no one to fact check them! No political party, no media. Opinions of plebes outside these card-carrying “experts” — counts for less then zero.
expected–USA funds ISIS, HTS, SDF
The real threat coming from that era is the unlawful US al-Tanf base, recruiting and training former ISIS, various Jihadi and Takfiri members….and sending them on assassination and sabotage mission.
Al-Tanf has been thinned out — and only few crazies remain. Of course being on Jordan border — it is easy to resupply. But to what end — Syrian government controls most of the territory.
The US still controls al-Tanf and a 50 mile no go zone, the crossing that connects the vital Baghdad – Damascus road and the Rukban refugee camp that is controlled by US trained mercenaries.
Rukban also serves as a cover for US occupation of the crossing and al-Tanf.
We hire the best. They charge more than other proxy’s but they will get the job done.
Very well written, covering the important elements of “ISIS”. The term ” ISIS ” is used so that “Sunni” doesn’t enter the narrative. That might effect arms sales to our various Sunni “friends”. “Caliphate” is also phony, simply a word to make “places where Sunni refugees are trying to survive” seem like a thing rightly destroyed with trumps artillery/air strike campaign in 17/18. (probably ongoing if it were transparent).
The story about Iraqi refugees and their hardship bring the motivating force behind ISIS creation is cruel. We dismantled Iraq armed forces, and made hundreds of thousands and their families destitute. Saudi and other Gulf charities prayed in their insecurity, and the wretched status of being refugee in a foreign country.
That being the reality — ISIS (or other Islamic militancy) did not sprung from these environments. Militants were brought in — paid mercenaries, with military leaders, weapons and training. Accompanied by radical Wahhabi priests. Initially, the groups under different names proliferated in hardest hit Sunni areas of Iraq and refugee saturated areas of Syria. They were imposed upon the population — not sprung from it.
Other options on the market of Sunni fundamentalism was Al-Qaeda brand, Al-Nusra, for those drawn more by the internationalist appeal. Mostly Western funded in order to hold Aleppo.
Then there were hundreds of Free Syrian Army units, mostly on Turkish border, population disillusioned and worried about lawlessness once conflict started.
The mix of groups did not result in a unifying force against Assad. This is where ISIS came in: with new leadership and logistics. Many groups were suddenly defunded and made join ISIS in Sunni Iraq and Syria east of Euphrates.
ISIS attempt at creating a Sunnistan — separating Syria and Iraq, as well as isolating Turkey.
But the plan was hatched by the Saudi Interior minister who then became Saudi Crown Prince, MBN (Mohammed bin Nayef). He was adored by Western intelligence, and he actually was the creator of Syria demolition plan, and a Sunni Caliphate.
But it all went very wrong. After Russia entered Syria by the end of 2015, and Iraqi Army acquired its own militia not subject to coordination with US forces — ISIS was losing in Iraq an its tentacles were pushed back in Syria. After Trump took power, the era of supporting Caliphate was over. Trump saw a losing game, and was going to let Russia take the credit. Saudis heard bad news — their investment and reputation gone. Turkey was cutting off ISIS in Syria to prevent Kurdish SDF take over from ISIS.
Saudi Arabia decided to remove ISIS mastermind, the Crown Prince — MBN in June 2017. Since, Mosul fell in the fall, and Raqqa the next year.
Here we are today with US pushing for restoration of ousted MBN and his intelligence chief, now in Canada. With the health of king deteriorating — there is a push to create a political infighting.
But if nothing happens the current Crown Prince MBS will become King and be in position to influence selection of his successor , the new Crown Prince. But MBN is on trial now — and his shell companies used to fund islamic militants as well as ISIS are being labeled “corruption”, as Saudis will not reveal the money trail. We shall see.
It
But MBS is popular domestically. It is unlikely that the Allegiance Council would replace him. Any ISIS around today must have some other funding source.
Where do u get your info? LoL!
If u want to discuss Saudi Arabia, go ahead, but don’t assume you know anything about Syria. If u live in any somewhat populated city, please seek out Syrian-Americans. They will tell you the truth. Doctors and Engineers and students, these refugees didn’t leave Syria for economic reasons. They left because of seeing the friends, and family members being taken away by the “shabiha.” Not for taking up arms, but for criticizing the regime.
Oooo, scary, jihadis, and etc. Wake up ppl. The Syrian ppl will never accept these foreign Rothschild terror squads.
There are militias in Syria like Ahrar Al Sham, who are brave men who protect their communities. They aren’t backed by other countries like Hezbulla or ISIS or SDF. Honestly, I haven’t followed them in months, but they are not as active anymore because Syrians are tired of war. It only benefits the US military industry, and Zionist ambitions. And of course Kurdish ambitions. The Kurds have been close with Israel for decades, and u don’t hear about it much in mainstream press. I saw 1 story on TV about this alliance.
The matrix of refugee social order is more complicated than “foreign fighters”. Note that in the US, owners of company under labor union strike would hire their strike breaking thugs right off the ranks of the picket line. Hungry children make tenuous loyalties.
If one were to greatly simplify Iraqi social order, prewar, to Sunni, Shia and Kurdish, the war and occupation further divides Sunni and Shia into 4 camps each. Resistance, collaborators, undecided, and refugees. These additions multiply violence.
The ethnic cleansing of Baghdad, strategic cities and sites was pretty complete by 2007. The US was paying $16 million per month to the “Sons of Iraq”, a 100,ooo strong sunni militia. As 2007 came to a close, refugees were out of US strategic areas, war weariness was rampant in Iraq, and the “surge” was being prepared to be labeled a “huge success”, as Obama called it in 09.
The Sons of Iraq were promised to be assimilated into the Iraqi army, they weren’t. Nowhere to go, they followed the refugee path, and became security power brokers in Sunni refugee areas in mostly, Syria. They would soon be rebranded by the marketing boys at Langley, and hunted.
It makes me think about the film on the US invasion and theft of ,”Panama” on the antiwar.com blog. The Columbian army was paid to leave, and not contest the americans. That appears to be the end of the story, but, what happened in Columbia when these soldiers returned flush with cash ?
Hey yo. I can tell there are allot of RT watchers in here. The white helmets are 100% the greatest men I’ve ever seen. They sleep in tiny areas and when Assad drops barrel bombs on apt buildings, they use everything they can to get the civilians out from under concrete. Syrian homes are nothing like these drywall homes in the US. They are mostly rebar and concrete or stone. So whose gonna rescue the civilians. Most of u are surface news ppl. Why don’t u go on YouTube and listen to ppl who made it out. Ppl who were tortured in the jails. One news site has sub titles, and it’s 100 times worse than the Holocaust, the stories are so sad. At this point the ppl don’t trust anyone. Assad has Hezbollah milita and Russian troops at his disposal. I have cousins who were tortured to death in Damascus. Most Syrians do. I have 1 cousin who made it to Beirut, after $40,000 US. 1 regular tactic is leaving corpses in jail cells in packed cell. Rotten bread if they are lucky. These are military prisons. It’s so bad that I don’t even like to talk about Syria anymore.
1 big misconception is that ppl think the US & Israel want to overthrow Assad.
Well they could have easily done it when Obama warned Assad. French jets were ready to strike. what happened? Israeli officials take credit for letting assad remain in power. They made deal with Russia to remove chemical weapons. Assad kills Sunnis at a rate that Zionists could only dream of. It’s evil. And when US trained Syrians, most quit bc US said only fight “isis”.ISIS is not killing Syrians, like the regime. Most ISIS is ragtag mercenaries from former Soviet states.and concentrated in Raqqah. Anyway now u see why I get frustrated. The US has no desire to remove Assad, as long as he keeps killing Syrians. Making way for “greater Israel. ” And yes I acknowledge that some Syrians like Assad like the Aliwites and even some Sunnis. These are ppl who know how evil the regime is, but out of fear they back Assad. Latakia is scared of retribution if Assad falls. May the LORD bring peace to the Great nation of Syria.
Let Putin and Assad deal with ISIS! The U.S. interference only makes things worse for the Syrian people.