The US military went on the offensive late yesterday in Syria, in response to an attack by “a drone of Iranian origin” on one of its bases that same afternoon. According to the Pentagon, one American was killed and six others wounded by enemy shells in the vicinity of Hasaka.
In retaliation, last night US forces shelled “targets of Iranian-allied militias” in Deir Ezzor – a town controlled by the Syrian army – and in desert areas of Mayadin and Bukamal. According to a British intelligence source, there would be up to eight casualties among the militants propping up Bashar al-Assad’s regime, an ally of Russia. There is no confirmation from the Syrian side.
Previously, alleged Iranian-backed Shiite militia arsenals in Deir Ezzor have been targeted by Israeli shells.
The United States maintains an occupation force of “close to a thousand soldiers” in northeast Syria, working closely with the Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The top-ranking US general, Mark Miley, visited one of these bases earlier this month, signaling the Pentagon’s commitment to stay. The area is also home to the main Syrian oil fields.
At the end of his presidency, Donald Trump wanted to pull US troops out of Syria, but failed when he ran into strong opposition within the State Department itself and the Pentagon, as well as in the media.
However, the testimonial presence of US troops is becoming increasingly complicated and the Pentagon may soon have to decide between doubling down or withdrawing. The reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran will have immediate effects in Syria, where Bashar al-Assad already conditions peace with Turkey on a commitment to the total withdrawal of Turkish troops.
Recep Tayyip’s main rival in the May presidential elections, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, has already stated that if he wins, his priority will be to reach an agreement with Bashar al-Assad and repatriate the 3.5 million Syrian refugees “in less than two years”.
Hasaka, where the Americans were attacked yesterday, is a town where the Damascus government has never failed to be present, thanks to the support of its sizeable Christian population. In the surroundings, however, Kurdish militias dominate, collaborating here with the Americans while, to the west, in Manbich, they collaborate with the forces of Russia and Bashar al-Assad.
In recent weeks, the Pentagon has pointed out that Russian aviation – which controls the airspace in agreement with the Syrian government represented at the UN – flies over the US base of Tanf, near the confluence, almost daily in an intimidating manner. from Syria, Jordan and Iraq. Damascus has repeatedly denounced the presence of jihadist militias in its surroundings.
Likewise, the pressure is also growing in Iraq, where, twenty years after the invasion, US troops maintain a notable presence, against the will of the Baghdad parliament. Although the Americans abandoned “the combat mission” a couple of years ago, the Al Sudani government wants an even more substantial reduction in its troops, which only contemplates the permanence of training and intelligence units. The United States is wary of such plans, as they would free up the influence of Iran, which has grown steadily since the ouster of Saddam Hussein.
The American killed yesterday, as well as one of the wounded, would be “contractors” according to the Pentagon, a deliberately ambiguous term that can mean both a mercenary and a subcontracted civilian. The rest would be soldiers.
