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Old 02-18-2019, 10:26 AM
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Arrow US Army Commander of US-backed forces fighting ISIS asks US to keep troops in Syria

US Army Commander of US-backed forces fighting ISIS asks US to keep troops in Syria
By: By Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne, CNN / February 18, 2019
RE: https://us.cnn.com/2019/02/18/politi...ria/index.html


Commander of US-backed forces fighting ISIS asks US to keep troops in Syria
Barbara Starr-Profile-Image
By Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne, CNN

Updated 1:00 PM ET, Mon February 18, 2019
Top general disagrees with Trump over Syria pullout
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Top general disagrees with Trump over Syria pullout 02:55

(CNN)The commander of the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces is asking the US and its coalition partners to provide air support and keep up to 1,500 troops in Syria as part of an effort to stabilize the country.

"I feel that American forces must remain inside of Syria," General Mazloum told reporters, speaking through an interpreter, "we don't want them to leave Syria ... but in the end, it is an American decision."

"The withdrawal of American forces in the middle of the fight is something unfortunate," he added.

The SDF commander made his comments during a visit to Northern Syria by Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of US Central Command, which oversees all US military operations in the region.

Mazloum told reporters that Votel is "working" on his proposal for an enduring coalition presence but Votel later emphasized to reporters that all US ground units are coming out of Syria in accordance with President Donald Trump's orders.

"Our mission, the task given to us right now, and the President's direction is to withdraw, and that's where we are, and that's what we're focused on doing," Votel said.

The US currently has over 2,000 troops in Syria, where they are primarily helping the SDF in its campaign against ISIS. The SDF have previously told CNN that ISIS retains just 700 square meters of territory in a town along the Euphrates River in Syria.

Two US military officials told CNN that the beginning of the troop withdrawal is imminent. The US has already withdrawn some military equipment in recent weeks.

Some Trump administration officials have sought to downplay the significance of the troop pullout, with Vice President Mike Pence referring to it as "a change in tactics, not a change in mission."

Trump has not publicly given the Pentagon a firm timetable in which to complete the withdrawal and Votel said that the US is talking to coalition partners to determine the shape of any future security arrangements in Syria.

'Observer force' option

Acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan told reporters last week that the US was talking to partners about the possibility of establishing an "observer force" in northeast Syria.

"The coalition, with its resources and capabilities, is an option" Shanahan said when asked who would compose this force while clarifying that US troops would not be involved.

France and the UK also have military advisers in Syria albeit in smaller numbers, although it's unclear whether they would be willing to stay in Syria without the support of the US military.

Votel said he is also currently planning on how to continue transferring weapons and other training assistance to the SDF after the withdrawal is complete.

"This is an enemy that we will have to keep pressure on, so that's the part we're working through. I'm less certain how we're going to do that right now at this particular point, but we're working through it," Votel said.

However, senior US military and defense officials have said that assisting the Syrian Democratic Forces in their battle against the remnants of ISIS will be made more difficult without having troops on the ground.

"Obviously it's easier to do our job with access in placement in proximity and we have thrived on that being with the Syrian Democratic Forces and enabling them to do the heavy lifting," Gen. Raymond "Tony" Thomas, the head of US Special Operations Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week.

"It will certainly be harder to not have that proximity, make it more challenging but we are working on solutions to maintain some contact and some level of support for them," he added.

Votel says he will follow Trump's orders

But Votel is adamant that he will follow the President's orders and all troops will come out unless Trump issues new orders to the Pentagon.

The hour-long meeting between Mazloum and Votel is bound to rankle Turkey who sees Kurdish elements of the SDF as being linked to the Kurdish separatist group, the PKK.
And while Trump has promised to help protect Kurdish fighters who worked with the US in Syria he has also that he is working with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on a possible "safe zone" for northern Syria, something long sought by Turkey.

US officials believe that if Turkey was allowed to enforce such a zone, Turkish troops and their local allies would likely target Kurdish elements of the SDF.

"Of course, the No. 1 threat and concern that we have is Turkey, the Turkish threat," Mazloum said, saying he and Votel discussed "how to limit those threats."

"They (Turkey) want that area to be under their control and we won't accept that," he added, saying the SDF would accept a safe zone monitored by international forces.

While Votel has expressed support for continuing to provide arms and assistance to the SDF following a US withdrawal, a move bound to anger Turkey, US officials have said if the SDF aligns itself with Syrian President Bashar al Assad, the relationship with the SDF would end.

Many analysts believe the SDF may seek such an alliance with the Syrian regime as a means of protecting itself from Turkey.

The SDF, an approximately 55,000-strong group of Kurdish and Arab fighters, has become America's most trusted ally in the fight against ISIS, with military commanders praising their battlefield prowess as well as their ability to stabilize areas captured from ISIS.

"They've not only been tremendous partners on the battlefield, but what they've been able to do to provide security and stability in the regions that they currently control are absolutely phenomenal and we need to give them credit for that," Lt. Gen. Paul LaCamera, the commander of the US-led military coalition fighting ISIS, told reporters in Baghdad on Sunday.

The Pentagon has previously said that more than 1,600 SDF fighters have been killed as part of the campaign to defeat ISIS.

"President Trump promised us to protect the Kurdish people," Mazloum said.
"I want him to live up to his word," he added.

"We're balancing the fight against ISIS, we're balancing what we're trying to do to address Turkish concerns and the protection of our partners here. And of course were trying to orchestrate a deliberate well-planned, professional withdrawal," Votel said.

Who is General Votel? Photo link: https://media.defense.gov/2016/Aug/2...Z999-0005B.JPG

Joseph Leonard Votel (born February 14, 1958) is a four-star general in the United States Army who has been commander of United States Central Command since March 2016. Before that, he served as commander of the United States Special Operations Command.
Commands held: United States Central Comm...
Birth name: Joseph Leonard Votel
Born: February 14, 1958 (age 60); Saint Paul, ...
Service/branch: United States Army

More;

CENTCOM Commander
General Joseph L. Votel attended the United States Military Academy and was commissioned in 1980 as an Infantry Officer. His initial assignments were to the 3d Infantry Division in Germany where he served as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, Battalion Adjutant and Rifle Company Commander.

Following this he served as a Small Group Tactics Instructor at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia before being assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment as a Plans / Liaison Officer where he participated in Operation JUST CAUSE.

He was next posted to the 1st Ranger Battalion where he served as the Battalion Liaison Officer, Operations Officer and Executive Officer.

Following this he was assigned to HQs, Allied Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy and the NATO Peace Implementation Force (IFOR) in Sarajevo. He commanded the 2d Battalion, 22d Infantry (Light) at Fort Drum, New York and was subsequently selected to command the 1st Ranger Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.

Following attendance at the Army War College GEN Votel commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment and participated in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Iraq.

As a general officer he served in the Pentagon as the Director of the Army and Joint IED Defeat Task Force and subsequently as the Deputy Director of the Joint IED Defeat Organization established under the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He served as the Deputy Commanding General (Operations), 82d Airborne Division / CJTF-82, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan and was subsequently assigned as the Deputy Commanding General then Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

He most recently served as the Commanding General of U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

GEN Votel is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the United States Army War College. Current As 30 Mar 2016
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O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
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Old 02-18-2019, 12:00 PM
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Arrow The US-backed Syrian force fighting ISIS asked for at least 1,000 Americans to stay

The US-backed Syrian force fighting ISIS asked for at least 1,000 Americans to stay
By: Phil Stewart, Reuters February 18, 2019 at 01:34 PM
RE: https://taskandpurpose.com/the-us-ba...ricans-to-stay

AIRBASE IN NORTHEAST SYRIA (Reuters) - The commander of U.S.-backed forces in Syria called on Monday for about 1,000 to 1,500 international forces to remain in Syria to help fight Islamic State and expressed hope that the United States, in particular, would halt plans for a total pullout.

The remarks by Mazloum Kobani, the commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, followed talks with senior U.S. generals at an airbase in northeast Syria and offered perhaps the most comprehensive view to date of his requests for an enduring military assistance from the U.S.-led coalition.

"We would like to have air cover, air support and a force on the ground to coordinate with us," Kobani told a small group of reporters who traveled with the U.S. military to an airbase at an undisclosed location in northeast Syria.

With U.S. help, the Kurdish-led fighters are poised to seize Islamic State's last holdout in eastern Syria. At the height of its power four years ago, Islamic State held about a third of both Iraq and Syria in a self-proclaimed Caliphate.

But Islamic State still has thousands of fighters, who, now dispersed, are expected to turn to guerrilla-style attacks.

Kobani said there was discussions about perhaps French and British troops supporting the SDF in Syria. But he stressed he also wanted at least "a partial group of American forces," who now number more than 2,000 in Syria, to stay as well.

U.S. Army General Joseph Votel, head of Central Command, said after the talks with Kobani that he was still carrying out President Donald Trump's December order for a complete U.S. withdrawal of American forces.

"We certainly understand what they would like us to do, but of course that's not the path we're on at this particular point," Votel told reporters.

Asked about any discussions on a continuing U.S. presence in Syria, Votel said: "So the discussion really isn't about U.S. forces staying here. We've looked at potentially what coalition (forces) might be able to do here."

Trump's surprise December decision to withdraw all the U.S. troops from Syria has triggered deep concern among U.S. allies about the risk of an eventual resurgence of Islamic State.

But the pullout raises an even more immediate threat to Kobani's SDF, which fears that Turkey will make good on threats to attack them. He warned of a "new genocide" in SDF controlled areas of Syria.

Kobani thanked Trump for publicly stating his intent to protect the SDF but said: "I want him to live up to his word."

Without a deal with the U.S.-led coalition, experts say Kobani may have to strike a deal withSyrian President Bashar al-Assad to avoid a Turkish sweep or a resurgence of Islamic State.

Votel is recommending continued support to the SDF as long as it keeps up pressure on Islamic State militants.

But Army Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, who is the commander of the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, cautioned on Sunday that the United States would be legally unable to support the SDF if they partnered with Assad or Assad's Russian backers.

Kobani stressed he was not seeking a military deal with Damascus.

Perhaps sensing an opportunity to stoke doubt among the Kurdish communities, Assad warned on Sunday the United States would not protect those depending on it.

"We say to those groups who are betting on the Americans, the Americans will not protect you," he said. "The Americans will put you in their pockets so you can be tools in the barter, and they have started with (it)."

Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, is among the U.S. lawmakers expressing concern the U.S. withdrawal could deal a devastating blow to Kurdish forces and warned that any sense of U.S. betrayal could cast a long shadow for years to come.

"It will chill future potential groups from assisting us if we're going to treat the people who have been so stalwart on our behalf in this way. It is very dangerous in terms of national security," he has said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Alison Williams)
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O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
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