12-30-2017, 11:01 PM
*** 31-Dec-17 World View -- With ISIS collapsing, US forces will remain in Syria to restore 'normalcy'
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** With ISIS collapsing, US forces will remain in Syria to restore 'normalcy'
****
![[Image: g171230b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g171230b.jpg)
Jim Mattis (Getty)
According to Pentagon estimates, there are few then 1,000 fighters
from the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh) left in
eastern Syria, down from several thousand just a few weeks ago. This
is largely through the efforts of the mostly Kurdish US-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), which have focused their efforts on
eradicating remnants of ISIS.
The Pentagon in the past has said that US forces would remain in Syria
"as long as we need to," and on Friday U.S. Defense Secretary Jim
Mattis gave an outline about how the role of US forces will be
changing in 2018, following the collapse of the self-declared ISIS
caliphate in Raqqa.
According to Mattis, ISIS is on the run, with some remaining ISIS
fighters in the Middle Euphrates River Valley:
<QUOTE>"As we sit here today at the end of 2017, the
caliphate is on the run, we’re breaking them.
We are in the process of crushing the life out of the caliphate
there, while trying to keep the innocent people safe – which is
very hard with this group.
It [ISIS] is less inspirational when they have lost their physical
caliphate; it is less inspirational as the stories of what it was
like living under their rule come out. I think it is a brand with
a diminishing appeal, but the appeal is still there for those who
go in for that philosophy."<END QUOTE>
Mattis said the time is right for "an attempt to move toward
normalcy," by operations like clearing IEDs, and ensuring
peace and stability:
<QUOTE>"What we will be doing is shifting from what I call an
offensive, terrain-seizing approach, to a stabilizing [approach].
You'll see more U.S. diplomats on the ground. When you bring in
more diplomats, they’re working that initial restoration of
services. They bring in the contractors. That sort of thing,
There’s international money that’s got to be administered so it
actually does something and doesn’t go into the wrong people’s
pockets."<END QUOTE>
The approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria would stay and provide
security for the diplomats and civilians, as well as help with
training and aid in efforts to hunt down IS fighters. Dept. of Defense and VOA and CNBC
****
**** US warns Assad regime to stay west of Euphrates river
****
The regime of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad is demanding that US
forces leave Syria completely, and is calling the US presence
"illegal."
But according to Mattis, there is a demarcation line between the
forces of the al-Assad regime and its ally Russia on one side, and the
Syrian Democratic Forces and the coalition forces on the other side:
<QUOTE>"This is the demarcation line, and we've said that we
will operate on one side, the Russians on the other. And we're
still taking ISIS down. Nothing has changed."<END QUOTE>
Mattis is denying that that US-backed forces have engaged "Assad
forces" crossing the demarcation line:
<QUOTE>"It hasn't come up. They're not even trying it. So
I'm not concerned. ...
"Well, right now, it's a mistake if somebody does it. So it's not
a warning to anybody."<END QUOTE>
Despite the implied warning by Mattis, al-Assad says that the Kurds
are "traitors," and he wants his army to attack them and possibly to
exterminate them. The al-Assad regime currently controls about 55% of
Syria, and Kurdish forces control about 28%.
Turkey also considers the Kurds in the SDF to be "terrorists," and
wants to see their role reduced. Furthermore, Turkey has recently
called Bashar al-Assad a "terrorist."
It appears that, in addition to eliminating the remaining 1,000 ISIS
fighters, the remaining 2,000 US troops in Syria will have the job of
protecting the Kurds from the Turkish and al-Assad forces. Critics of
Friday's announcement by Mattis claim that it's a prescription for
open-ended mission creep. AFP and Jerusalem Post and Rudaw (Kurdistan) and Eagle Online
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Syria, Raqqa, Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Jim Mattis, Euphrates river, Bashar al-Assad, Russia
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- With ISIS collapsing, US forces will remain in Syria to restore 'normalcy'
- US warns Assad regime to stay west of Euphrates river
****
**** With ISIS collapsing, US forces will remain in Syria to restore 'normalcy'
****
Jim Mattis (Getty)
According to Pentagon estimates, there are few then 1,000 fighters
from the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh) left in
eastern Syria, down from several thousand just a few weeks ago. This
is largely through the efforts of the mostly Kurdish US-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), which have focused their efforts on
eradicating remnants of ISIS.
The Pentagon in the past has said that US forces would remain in Syria
"as long as we need to," and on Friday U.S. Defense Secretary Jim
Mattis gave an outline about how the role of US forces will be
changing in 2018, following the collapse of the self-declared ISIS
caliphate in Raqqa.
According to Mattis, ISIS is on the run, with some remaining ISIS
fighters in the Middle Euphrates River Valley:
<QUOTE>"As we sit here today at the end of 2017, the
caliphate is on the run, we’re breaking them.
We are in the process of crushing the life out of the caliphate
there, while trying to keep the innocent people safe – which is
very hard with this group.
It [ISIS] is less inspirational when they have lost their physical
caliphate; it is less inspirational as the stories of what it was
like living under their rule come out. I think it is a brand with
a diminishing appeal, but the appeal is still there for those who
go in for that philosophy."<END QUOTE>
Mattis said the time is right for "an attempt to move toward
normalcy," by operations like clearing IEDs, and ensuring
peace and stability:
<QUOTE>"What we will be doing is shifting from what I call an
offensive, terrain-seizing approach, to a stabilizing [approach].
You'll see more U.S. diplomats on the ground. When you bring in
more diplomats, they’re working that initial restoration of
services. They bring in the contractors. That sort of thing,
There’s international money that’s got to be administered so it
actually does something and doesn’t go into the wrong people’s
pockets."<END QUOTE>
The approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria would stay and provide
security for the diplomats and civilians, as well as help with
training and aid in efforts to hunt down IS fighters. Dept. of Defense and VOA and CNBC
****
**** US warns Assad regime to stay west of Euphrates river
****
The regime of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad is demanding that US
forces leave Syria completely, and is calling the US presence
"illegal."
But according to Mattis, there is a demarcation line between the
forces of the al-Assad regime and its ally Russia on one side, and the
Syrian Democratic Forces and the coalition forces on the other side:
<QUOTE>"This is the demarcation line, and we've said that we
will operate on one side, the Russians on the other. And we're
still taking ISIS down. Nothing has changed."<END QUOTE>
Mattis is denying that that US-backed forces have engaged "Assad
forces" crossing the demarcation line:
<QUOTE>"It hasn't come up. They're not even trying it. So
I'm not concerned. ...
"Well, right now, it's a mistake if somebody does it. So it's not
a warning to anybody."<END QUOTE>
Despite the implied warning by Mattis, al-Assad says that the Kurds
are "traitors," and he wants his army to attack them and possibly to
exterminate them. The al-Assad regime currently controls about 55% of
Syria, and Kurdish forces control about 28%.
Turkey also considers the Kurds in the SDF to be "terrorists," and
wants to see their role reduced. Furthermore, Turkey has recently
called Bashar al-Assad a "terrorist."
It appears that, in addition to eliminating the remaining 1,000 ISIS
fighters, the remaining 2,000 US troops in Syria will have the job of
protecting the Kurds from the Turkish and al-Assad forces. Critics of
Friday's announcement by Mattis claim that it's a prescription for
open-ended mission creep. AFP and Jerusalem Post and Rudaw (Kurdistan) and Eagle Online
Related Articles
- More on the evacuation of ISIS militants from Raqqa, Syria (16-Nov-2017)
- Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin hug and declare the end of war in Syria (27-Nov-2017)
- Turkey's tanks and troops cross border into Syria's Idlib (13-Oct-2017)
- Turkey's assault on Kurds in Afrin, Syria, may jeopardize the battle in Raqqa (14-Jul-2017)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Syria, Raqqa, Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Jim Mattis, Euphrates river, Bashar al-Assad, Russia
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
