The United States will strengthen its military presence in Syria with “mechanized forces” to prevent Islamic State fighters seizing oil fields and revenue, the U.S. Defense Secretary said on Friday, the latest twist in President Donald Trump’s confusing policy on Syria. No to Kurds but yes to Syrian oil fields.
It is highly unlikely the Islamic State fighters have the capabilities and the numbers to attack and hold oil fields. It is more likely this step is to prevent the Assad regime and Iran from benefiting from Trump’s illogical exit from Syria.
Trump has been softening his pullout plans for Syria after a backlash from Congress, including among key Republicans.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters during a press conference:
We are now taking some actions… to strengthen our position at Deir al zor, to ensure that we can deny ISIS access to the oil fields. We are reinforcing that position, it will include some mechanized forces.
Mechanized forces usually include tanks and other military assets.
He did not say how many forces were currently in the region or how many additional forces The U.S. is sending.
SITTING DUCKS?
Any significant U.S. military presence on the ground would need to be properly defended from potential attack. Particularly in oil-rich areas of Syria that could become targets of Russian-backed or Iran-backed forces.
The vacuum left by Trump’s partial withdrawal has created an opening that Russia exploited by moving forces into the area. U.S. officials worry that Iran-backed forces in Syria could also capitalize on the chaos.
Around 300 more Russian military police have arrived in Syria under an Turkish-Russian accord. That accord halted Turkey’s military incursion into northeast Syria.
Amid fears that Islamic State could stage a comeback, Trump said on Wednesday a small number of U.S. troops would remain in the area of Syria “where they have the oil,” a reference to oilfields in the Kurdish-controlled region.
On Thursday, Trump said on Twitter that the “Oil is secured”. He also referred to “our soldiers have left and are leaving Syria for other places.”
Esper said his Turkish counterpart had told him that Ankara had recaptured some of 100 Islamic State militants who escaped from prison in Syria as a result of the Turkish incursion.
Esper met Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Friday in Brussels during a NATO meeting. NATO allies discussed Syria on Thursday. The discussions included a German proposal for a multilateral force to patrol a safe zone in northeastern Syria.
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