December 20, ten days after the regime of Bashar al-Assad was overthrown following a dazzling offensive led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group [HTS, ex-Front al-Nosra, autrefois lié à al-Qaïda] and pro-Turkish rebel formations united within the Syrian National Army, the Pentagon admitted that it had reinforced its troops deployed in Syria, increasing their numbers to 2,000 soldiers. And this has been happening “for several months”.
“These additional personnel […] are considered temporary forces to support the mission [contre l’État islamique] and the forces that are deployed there in the longer term,” explained General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesperson.
Since a decision taken during President Trump's first term in 2019, the United States previously had around 900 troops in Syria. Distributed in two bases, namely that of Green Village, located near the al-Omar oil field, in the province of Deir ez-Zor, and that of At Tanf, near the borders with Jordan and Iraq, their missions were to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State and to support the Syrian Democratic Forces [FDS, majoritairement constituées de combattants kurdes] as well as the Syrian rebel group “Maghaweir al-Thowra” [« Les commandos de la Révolution »].
While the fall of Bashar al-Assad has encouraged the now former Syrian rebels supported by Turkey to attack the SDF, it appears that American forces intend to once again establish a base in the area around Kobane, a town which was the symbol of Kurdish resistance against the Islamic State in 2014.
Indeed, in recent days, trucks loaded with construction materials have been seen heading towards Kobané, under FDS escort. According to sources cited by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights [OSDH]US forces reportedly intend to establish a “new military base in Ain Al-Arab [nom arabe de Kobané, ndlr]in light of the growing security and military tensions in this region.”
Between 2015 and 2019, the anti-jihadist coalition led by the United States [Operation Inherent Resolve – OIR] had already occupied a base in Kobané, as part of its operations against the Islamic State. Then it was abandoned and recovered by Russian troops, who in turn have just left it.
For the moment, the Pentagon has not confirmed the information from the OSDH. It remains that the pursuit [voire le renforcement] American support for the SDF is likely to displease Turkey, which considers this organization terrorist because of its links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK].
On December 24, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Yaşar Güler, to discuss the situation in Syria. On this occasion, he argued that “close and continuous coordination was essential” to maintain pressure on the Islamic State and that it was important to “put in place the conditions to make Syria safer and more secure.” stable “.
Then, six days later, Pentagon deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh indicated that the “partnership” with the SDF had “not changed.”
Moreover, on December 31, Kurdistan24 noted that “the international coalition led by the United States had reinforced its patrols” in the surroundings of Kobané, thus maintaining a “continuous military presence in the strategically important city amid tensions between the SDF and Turkey.”
At the same time, Syria's new strongman [et ancien chef de Hayat Tahrir al-Cham]Ahmad el-Chareh [alias Abou Mohammed al-Joulani]said that negotiations were underway with the SDF to “resolve the crisis in northeast Syria” and “integrate them into the national armed forces”. Dismissing any idea of partition, he asserted that the Kurds “were an integral part of Syria. And added that he would not allow Syrian Kurdistan to serve as a rear base for the PKK to launch attacks in Türkiye.
Incidentally, the United States no longer has a price on Ahmad el-Chareh's head, his wanted notice having been removed from the “Reward for Justice” site.
Regardless, if confirmed, the construction of a new base [ou la réhabilitation de l’ancienne] in Kobane by American forces may seem surprising as President Biden prepares to hand over the baton to Donald Trump. On December 7, the latter made unambiguous remarks about the situation in Syria.
“Syria is a mess, but it is not our friend, and the United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let's leave [la situation] grow. Let's not get involved! “, he said, via the Truth Social network. Then, a week later, he accused Turkey of having “made an unfriendly takeover [de la Syrie] without many lives being lost.” And added: “I can say that Assad was a butcher.”
That said, a recent note from the Institute of International and Strategic Relations estimates that the United States is not about to leave Syria.
“For the moment, a withdrawal of American troops would be precipitous and the vacuum left would likely lead to clashes between the different factions vying for control of the territory and its resources. The differences in interests between the two members of NATO are resurfacing and require a presence on the ground to preserve American interests and those of its allies,” she says.
Photo : archive
