The US is sending additional forces into Syria after a series of incidents between US and Russian troops in the country, according to three unnamed Pentagon officials speaking to NBC News. The force will consist of six Bradley Fighting Vehicles and fewer than 100 soldiers, who will be operating in northeast Syria on a 90-day deployment.
The US-led anti-ISIS coalition Operation Inherent Resolve said that the Bradley Fighting Vehicles arrived in eastern Syria on Friday.
The unnamed officials told NBC that the additional soldiers and vehicles will serve as a “show of presence” to discourage Russia from entering the eastern security zone where US forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces operate.
US troops have had multiple encounters with the Syrian government and Russia inside Syria throughout the year. Some of the more serious confrontations occurred last month.
One incident took place on August 17th at a Syrian army checkpoint and resulted in US attack helicopters firing on the position, killing at least one Syrian soldier. A few days after the checkpoint incident, US and Russian military vehicles collided, injuring at least seven US soldiers.
US commanders blame the encounters on Moscow and Damascus, but while the US maintains its presence in the country against the will of the Syrian government, confrontations are bound to happen. These additional forces will only make similar incidents more likely.
100 more Oil thieves?
All Bradleys will be set on cruise control towards nuclear oblivion, regardless of which oligarch storms the White House.
Pirates after treasure?
Six infantry fighting vehicles and less than 100 men?
It is a feature of Soviet and later Russian Army operations that they do things in mass, in large numbers, with massive overkill.
When the Russians wanted to race to Pristina Airport during our Serbian adventure, they sent an entire battalion, a reinforced recon battalion of over 500 men. That was their idea of small and fast. And yes, it was fast, a lot faster than we were.
If the Russians actually choose to confront the US in Syria, it won’t be something six vehicles can face down.
Therefore, that is not really what is happening here.
I agree. Given the area we are hugging — the border with Iraq, in Kurdish territory, close to Turkish border — again Kurdish area, and of course, in Syria’s Hasakkah province, again close to majority Kurdish Kobane region.
And who is hanging out with US? Kurdish mercenaries — SDF. Funny name. Syrian Democratic Forces. Neither Syrian, nor democratic nor forces!
It seems to me that the Kurd project has been a fiasco, and YPG has collapsed — or better put, allowed Damascus and Russia to take over control of places they used to hold before Trump pulled out under Turkish threat.
Neocon will not forgive Trump for pulling out — believing that Turkey crossed him by not filling the vacuum, but letting Damascus return nearly third of its territory.
This little location north of Qamishli appears to aim at carving out a small section of Turkish/Iraqi/Syrian Kurdish autonomy. This is the ONLY part of Syrian border with Turkey that is not secured.
Now it is Russian turn to protect this tristate area from being consolidated by mercenary Kurdish militants. Another importance of the area — supply of Turkish PKK with arms. The circle has been created around its perimeters.
Russia has been building up its base at Qamishli airport, bringing more helicopters as well as air defense capability.
You overlook the most critical fact of its geography, its location of use in attacking Iran, and in fact used by Israel for its own operations already.
Sure, but there are better geographies to pick from. While Kurds can always be bought for the right price — it will be near impossible for Peshmerga Kurds to trust US again, after US crossed them in fighting ISIS. US used both Peshmerga and PKK units that were brought from Turkey, and have tried to railroad Peshmerga politically. When Kurds liberated Sinjar and Kirkuk from ISIS — US allowed ONLY PKK to enter cities and occupy them — not Peshmerga,
Peshmerga then retaliated — elegantly, They always had good relationship with Turkey as PKK was a threat. And good relations with Baghdad.
To politically beat PKK — Peshmerga announced referendum on independence! US could not support them – as Baghdad was furious. PKK did not support them -/ but naturally independence and Peshmerga won. The result — Iraqi army went into Sinjarr and Kirkuk, kicked PKK out — Peshmerga did not come to their defense. Reason — no need to shed blood in losing situation. Then Peshmerga proceeded to turn over all airports to Iraqi government as well as borders of Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkey and Iran.
US trying to bribe Peshmerga with a $250,000 gift, but it is Iraq in charge there and Kurds in the government.
So, the area US is in is boxed by Iraqi Kurds and Iraqi army, on one side — and Iraqi controlled border in the other. This patch of land has some oil – but they are thinking about turning them over to Kurds (SDF). As people with no constituency or Kurd populace living there in any significant numbers — they will have to turn it over to Syria the moment US leaves.
All true. In the meantime, the US holds it as a wedge to serve Israeli designs against Iran, and in that part of Syria. That is from where Israeli drones just made recent strike in Syria. Striking Iran is a constant pre-occupation, no matter the consequences to the locals.
Similar to the response from people like Mitt Romney when Trump talked about pulling 12,000(?) from Germany as if that what was holding the Russians back from outright attack.
US steals Syrian pil in order to support stealing Syrian oil and land and helping Kurds steal Syrian lands; they then sell the oil to Turkey for its final destination point Israel.
Take look at map of Syria that borders Jordan and note a very large triangular portion that contains two ex Syrian towns and many miles square, that to used to be Syrias.
Talk of coalitipn troops leaves out very large numbers of NATO troop also in country and very large , they made Jordan a NATO favored with huge refugee camps where rebels and Mercs get supplied and recruits.
Jordan is paid hundreds of millions plus lots of expensive infrastructure built and provides access points in support of US owned triangle.
How many know that Syrian oil is not only strategic areas that are actually run by US Treasury titled US Overseas ( or Foreign owned) assets.
Damn, where is there another Paul Harvey, who always told “The Rest Of The Story”?
This must be fake news. Trump said he was going to remove US troops from Syria. He said it was nothing but “sand and death.” Of course, he also promised to build a wall, and Mexico would pay for it. 😂
“sand and death”…likely the same reason he has his caddies move his balls out of sand traps, and legal entaglements
“US commanders blame the encounters on Moscow and Damascus”
And they do so while keeping a straight face.
Another lame excuse for endless occupation, just yesterday at the WH pressbriefing, Trump promised a withdrawal of troops from Syria.
A couple days prior to that he was bitching about the pentagon always wanting more weaponry while almost simultaneously talking up selling UAE f-35’s. And remember when he blurted out about pardoning Snowden? It’s the room he is in at the time that matters and nothing else.
yes this happens often.
AND another “8 billion” of F-35’s for Israel. That would take them to at least 120, an air force of F-35’s to replace much of what they’ve worn out in their constant bombing. It might be more than that, because the Israelis are never charged full price.
Wonder what “100 soldiers” equates to in Pentagon bookkeeping….
There is no “financial accounting” in the pentagon . Even the auditors scratched their heads and walked away in frustration.
On September 16th, two US Apache attack helicopters attempted to approach a Russian military police patrol in the Syrian province of Haseka.
This goes against the agreement between the two countries in Syria.
In response, the Russian Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters accompanying the Russian patrol stopped the provocation by intercepting the American helicopters.
The Americans quickly retreated, flying a long distance away.
Video link September 16th…….also several Video from of the encounter between US and Russian forces from August 24 in NE Syria.
https://southfront.org/u-s-apache-helicopters-chase-after-russian-patrol-in-syria-intercepted-by-mi-8-and-mi-35/
Discourage from entering security zone?
This is why it is called security zone — not US zone. Within security zone both US and Russian forces can patrol provided a notification procedure is followed. The objective is to insure that no militants can hide in the zone, and to send patrols to investigate.
So unless we have something to hide — intend to bring back mythical ISIS or a new brand if militants — why Russians should not patrol the area on a predetermined schedule?
This seems more like a bruised juvenile ego — last time Russians were on a scheduled patrol, US vehicles tried to interfere — unsuccessfully.
So, this time — we have BIGGER vehicles, and any scheduled patrol will be met with the intention of giving them concussion this time?
So — this is as simple as that.
us troops have no right whatsoever to be there. Argghh. This is the kind of s*** that creates Che’s.
Playing chicken on the highways is so utterly chest-pumping, schoolyard bs.
A US convoy, consisting of 30 tanker trucks laden with stolen Syrian oil, has left the war-stricken country and sneaked into neighboring Iraq, official SANA news agency says.
The convoy carried the oil looted from the al-Jazira region in northeastern Hasakah Province to the Iraqi territories through the illegal al-Walid crossing in the al-Yaroubia area, it said Saturday.
The US looting of Syrian oil was fist confirmed during a Senate hearing exchange between South Carolina Republican Senenator Lindsey Graham and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in late July.
Graham said Mazloum Abdi, general commander of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), had informed him that a deal had been signed with an American firm to “modernize the oil fields in northeastern Syria,” and asked Pompeo whether the US administration was supportive of it.
“We are,” the top US diplomat replied. “The deal took a little longer … than we had hoped, and now we’re in implementation.”
on top of this despicable and criminal act, the US and its pathetic western puppets, after destroying Syria, have sanctioned the Syrian people for years and blocked all bank and investment fonds.
only Russia, China and Iran har helping to rebuild Syria.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/09/20/634584/US-convoy-Syria-oil-Iraq