Saturday, July 22, 2017

U.S. Special Operations Command Chief: 'Russian Military Could Force The US Out of Syria'

A U.S army soldier holds a gun as he stands guard next to an armored vehicle as Brett McGurk, U.S. envoy to the coalition against Islamic State militant group (ISIS), visits the town of Tabqa, Syria June 29, 2017. The U.S. is also involved in the fight against ISIS, but backs a different faction from Russia not associated with the Syrian government. RODI SAID/REUTERS

Newsweek: Russian Military Could Force The US Out of Syria, Army Official Says

The head of Special Forces said Friday that Russia had established a more credible foothold than the U.S. in Syria, and that Moscow could use this influence to essentially expel his forces.

Addressing a security conference at the Aspen Institute, Special Operations Command chief Army General Raymond Thomas said that, while counterterrorism remained a priority for his forces, international law could prevent the U.S. from maintaining a long-term presence in Syria, where its intervention has been declared illegal by the government. Russia is also involved in the fight against the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and other jihadists in Syria, but entered at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, something that Thomas said could allow Moscow to make a solid case for the U.S.'s departure.

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WNU editor: The Russians are not going to force the U.S. out of Syria by themselves .... that is what diplomats are for. Special Operations Command chief Army General Raymond Thomas is also saying that the US didn't halt CIA program arming Syrian rebels to appease Russia .... U.S. general says ending the CIA’s Syria program was ‘not a sop’ to Russia (Washington Post).

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