US deployment will not stop Turkish offensive in eastern Syria
Xelil pointed out that the US troop deployment will do nothing to prevent a Turkish offensive in eastern Syria. The Turks have been occupying a 30 km safe zone in Syria after the withdrawal of US troops withdrawal from the area cleared the way for a Turkish advance into the area. Xelil pointed out that the US will not stay anywhere west of the town of Oamisli creating a problem for the Kurds who could face a Turkish advance into the area.
There is about a 100 km gap between Syrian-held Syria and US-held oilfield. Turkey and its rebel allies are free to invade Kurdish-held territory, and potentially to push deep into Kurdish territory.
US policy in Syria now seems mainly about oil
The Los Angeles Times quoted Trump: “We want to bring our soldiers home. But we did leave soldiers because we’re keeping the oil. I like oil. We’re keeping the oil.”
The US withdrew some troops deploying them temporarily to Iraq but Iraq wants them gone. However, they left US troops in oil fields in the Kurdish-controlled area of Iraq.
That the US presence does little to help the Kurds is not necessarily and oversight but may reflect a change in priorities by the Trump administration in Syria.
Pence attempts to reassure Kurds of US support
In a surprise visit to Iraq, US Vice President Mike Pence talked to Barzani president of the Kurdish autonomous region of Iraq and assured him of continuing US support for the Kurds as a recent article reports: “Pence, who was on his first visit to Iraq, told Barzani that he wanted to “reiterate the strong bonds forged in the fires of war between the people of the United States and the Kurdish people across this region”.”I don’t think there was any confusion now among the leadership here in the Kurdish region that President [Donald] Trump’s commitment to our allies here in Iraq as well as to those in the Syrian defence forces, the Kurdish forces who fought along side us, is unchanging,” he said when asked whether he had to smooth over any sense of betrayal from the Kurds, according to Reuters.”
