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Jerusalem, Israel – The Biden administration’s Syrian policy focuses like a laser on fighting the largely defeated Islamic State terror movement, but some observers say it appears to be shortsighted when it comes to magnifying the growing threat of both Iran and Russia that it could lead to greater instability in the heart of Islam.
“We have had three administrations that have not prioritized Syrian stability. If you don’t deal with it, it assists you, like the major problems in the Middle East. Instability in Syria spills over into wider changes,” said Brian Katulis. Senior Fellow and Vice President of Policy at the Middle East Institute.
Katulis told Fox News Digital: “Instability in Syria has broken the world over the past decade. Syria has broken the rules of war because [President Bashar] Assad and Russia killed hundreds of thousands of civilians. “The Syrian civil war has caused waves of migration that have disrupted politics in Europe and the United States, he noted.
“What is happening in Syria is not there,” he said, but the US mandate is limited to degrading the power of the Islamic State. “The presence we have in Syria is a goldilocks presence, not too big, not too small, right,” Katulis said.
UNITED STATES LAUNCHES SECOND SERIES OF STRIKES IN SYRIA AGAINST THOUSANDS OF IRANIANS
USCENTCOM chief, General Erik Kurilla, consults with officials running the al-Hol camp.
(CENTCOM)
There are about 900 US soldiers, including green berets, in Syria.
For Sinam Mohamad, the representative of the Syrian Democratic Council in the United States, the presence of American troops can advance a troika of American security interests.
The Syrian Democratic Council is the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian / Syriac forces, as well as some smaller Armenian, Turkmen and Chechen defense units
“Terrorism is still threatening the whole world and the Islamic State and al-Qaeda are still located in northeastern and northwestern Syria,” Mohamad told Fox News Digital.
He cited three reasons why a lasting American presence in Syria is needed.
“First, as long as these terrorist organizations are present, the threat to the United States and the whole world will continue. It is very important to end terrorism in Syria in cooperation with the Kurdish security forces,” he said.
IRAN, SYRIA THINK OF FORMING A JOINT OIL AND GAS COMPANY, SAY THE STATE MEDIA
Second, “if the United States withdraws, it will give power to Iran as in Iraq.” He said US deterrence “prevents regional interference from Turkey and Iran”.
Third, “For 11 years there has been no political solution” to end high-intensity fighting. “We could go back to before 2011, [when the civil war began], without any change in the Syrian regime. This will allow the regime to control Syria without making changes to democracy, “Mohamad said.
“We need to democratize Syria,” he said. “The United States will help and support us with democracy. The United States will empower our position during negotiations with the Syrian regime by strengthening a democratic system based on gender equality and freedom of religion. This will give us the opportunity to do so. build a unique model in the Middle East. “
The head of the US CENTCOM, General Erik Kurilla, recently said that Syria is becoming the “breeding ground” for a new generation of Islamic State terrorists.
US CENTCOM chief General Erik Kurilla examines al-Hol camp in Syria.
(CENTCOM)
CENTCOM HEAD BELIEVES SYRIA TO BE “BREEDING LAND” FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF ISIS
Brig. General (res.) Erez D. Maisel, who has served for 32 years in the Israeli Defense Forces and is an expert on Syria, told Fox News Digital that the country is “important for where it is located, particularly for Europe, Israel, Russia and Iran. Those who govern Syria say a lot about the Middle East “.
Maisel noted that the Kurdish areas in northern Syria “are of interest to Israel because we see many common interests. We have good connections with the Kurds. They are a minority and we are a minority.”
Kurdish forces have conducted patrols in recent weeks to eradicate Islamic State terrorists from the vast al-Hol refugee camp in northern Syria which is home to 55,000 residents. The US military is a staunch supporter of the anti-ISIS crackdown in the camp.
Maisel said: “Above all, the fact that Syria is located at the intersection of Iran and the Mediterranean, the land bridge, is fundamental to any better future for the people of the Levant.
PM ISRAELIO TO FOX: “WE WELCOME US STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS IN SYRIA”
Special operations troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US-led anti-jihadist coalition take part in heavy weapons military exercises in the countryside of Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria on March 25, 2022.
(Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN / AFP via Getty Images)
“The prolonged disruption of Iranian control over this crucial line of communication is strategically important not only for Israel, but for regional stability that impacts European and NATO interests. A mission requiring measured US support: a presence enough to deny Iranian freedom of movement (and the ISIS resurrection). “
He added: “The two major bottlenecks in Syria are: the Kurdish north (operational area of the Euphrates), essentially the areas controlled by the Syrian defense forces and the area of the three borders between the Kingdom of Jordan, Syria and Iraq. Specifically, the US CENTCOM Al Tanf Garrison.
“An important fallback that prohibits Iranian intentions to develop a supply line from Tehran, through Iraq, to Syria and Lebanon”.
Meanwhile, on Monday, speaking at the Jerusalem Post Conference in New York, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz unveiled a map showing more than 10 facilities in Masyaf in northwestern Syria that Iran uses to produce advanced missiles. and other weapons for its proxies. The facilities pose a significant threat to Israel and the region, he said.
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Critics of the Iranian atomic deal are deeply concerned that the Iranian regime will use sanction relief funds to pump money into the Assad regime’s coffers and increase terrorism in Syria against US troops.
On Wednesday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced that the United States has provided an additional $ 756 million in humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people. The amount comes on top of the $ 800 million in humanitarian aid announced by the administration in May.
A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on this report and directed Fox News Digital to the Pentagon.
