Evidence of US activity at Rmelian airfield in #Syria (controlled by #Kurdish #YPG)? New @Stratfor image #voaalert pic.twitter.com/BHaT1JguIC— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) January 22, 2016
Dave Majumdar, National Interest: Are U.S. Special Forces Facing a Syrian 'Black Hawk Down'?
As part of an expanding campaign in the region, American special operations forces have taken the Rmeilan air base in Syria. The base is located in the northeastern part of Syria near the Turkish and Iraqi borders—which is an area dominated by the Kurds.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)—which is affiliated with the opposition—the U.S. advisors arrived at the Rmelian base several weeks ago. The base’s infrastructure is being expanded so that it can support U.S. military operations in the area. U.S. helicopters are already using the base according to the SOHR. The group expects that fixed-wing aircraft will soon operate from the runways, which are currently being expanded.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I find this story "funny" because the U.S. has been denying reports that they are there even though recent satellite evidence indicates the opposite .... More Reports That the U.S. Is Building A Military Airport In Northeastern Syria, But The U.S. Is Denying The Story.The Russians .... who are probably watching these developments very closely .... believe that this is going to lead to something even bigger .... US & Turkey eyeing military operation in Syria against ISIS if peace talks fail(RT). More here .... Rmeilan Airfield: Is Pentagon Preparing for All-Out Offensive in Syria? (Sputnik). What's my take .... something is brewing.
6 comments:
This is not directed at ISIS.
It's deep in YPG territory, and if it is going to be a US base, it will allow the landing and take off of large transports, ( allowing the arming and resupply of the YPG), prepositioned supply's of fuel and ammo for helecopter missions, a staging base for SAR Teams, and a safe crash landing zone for damaged aircraft.
It's not a place where you can base fighter jets, A-10's or even attack helecopters, and sortie them.
It's just outside the edge of the Russian imposed no fly zone, so operations deeper into Syria would have to be conducted with R+6 permission and coordination.
Thats if they continue to acknowledge that russia has set up a defacto no fly zone.
fazman,
It's an unmadcamed compacted gravel strip. There is nothing in the US inventory that can operate of the strip, that can challenge the Russian No Fly zone,
Challenging the No Fly zone means open war with Russia, Iran and Syria.
In contrast, the YPG has pushed across the Euphrates, and is pushing north., with OIR air support. Ergodan has said that Turkey will not allow this, and there have already been Turkisk artillary attacks against the YPG forces.
It's much more likely that the base is being "pre staged" so that Turkey can't repeat the SU-27 event, with an allied OIR aircraft, the killing of the crew part.
Yes Jay, I concede that the strip has limited uses and will support "the" Kurds. Given, however, the latest statements out of Turkey, and the recent pronouncements from the U.S. regarding "peace" talks, it's difficult not to see something else at work here. It is also telling that the U.S. has issued statements critical of the PKK, who, with their marxist leanings, will most certainly be seen as more of an enemy than the Wahhabists. So, what I can see here is a deal whereby so called "legitimate" Kurds get support, while "terrorist Kurds (the PKK) get put down.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2015/10/turkey-syria-easier-to-defeat-isis-than-pkk-ypg.html#
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/14/turkey-ahmet-davutoglu-syrian-kurds-isis-us-russia
http://mobile.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_us-army-chief-says-turkeys-pkk-fight-diplomatically-unhelpful_398806.html
http://mobile.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_davutoglu-reiterates-opposition-to-syrian-kurdish-group-after-talks-with-biden_410411.html
This "dirt strip" has the look of a FOB in the making, with all the attendant devilment that can come from it. Regardless, its establishment is a violation of Syrian sovereignty.
RRH,
"If" it's a US airstrip, then yes, it's a violation of Syrian Soverignity.
"If" on the other hand, the US is refurbishing the strip for the YPG, then it falls in a grey area.
The PKK in Syria is the YPG, and the "supportive" noises the US is making to Turkey about the PKK is the Turkish PKK in Iraq and Turkey.
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