US troops in Syria : trump's retreat from the retreat

m

US President Donald trump photo: AFP/Jim WATSON

deduct Three weeks after the announcement from President Donald Trump, the US soldiers out of Syria, forwarded to Washington a re a u-turn – much to the Annoyance of Turkey. Statements of senior Trump adviser, that the U.S. troops should stay, despite the pronounced retreat in Syria.

Washington wants to protect, among other things, the Syrian Kurds attack Turkey. Also the new role that is given to the Turkey in the fight against the "Islamic state" (IS), is in doubt. A Delegation of Trump's advisers, who wants to visit on Tuesday Ankara, wait for difficult conversations.

Trump was informed of the decision on troop withdrawal in December in a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the interview, Erdogan, media said according to reports, the Turkish army will take over after the withdrawal of 2000 US soldiers out of Syria, the fighting IS there.

Trumps retreat command was severely criticized

in the United States and also in Europe, sharply criticized the deduction of command had brought the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG in a difficult position: The YPG, the main Partner of the USA in the fight against the IS, the is considered by Turkey as a terrorist organization. Without the protection of U.S. soldiers, the Kurds were at the mercy of an invasion by the Turks, which has already pulled troops to the border.

U.S. Secretary of state Michael Pompeo said that the United States wanted to continue to prevent the Turkey slaughter the Kurds "". Trumps security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday that the US withdrawal it's only the beginning, if the IS is defeated and a protection for the Syrian Kurds. U.S.-according to media reports, a senior employee added Pompeos, for the time being, the US soldiers will remain where they are: "We're not going anywhere."

With the back cover for the YPG want the United States not only emphasize that you, as a Partner you can rely on. You also want to prevent the Kurds militia leaves, in an attack Turkey, around 2000 prisoners of IS fighters and members of the family in their domination: The YPG has been asking for a long time, Western countries should take back their nationals among the detainees. Freed, and then returning home at the end of the IS-members could then perpetrate in Europe and the United States terrorist attacks, the fear in the West.

Bad news for Erdogan

For the Turkey, the new turn of the USA is bad news. Ankara was also to be trump's announcement, the YPG-Autonomous region along the Turkish border in Northern Syria with a military intervention to smash. A permanent presence of American soldiers in the field would make a large-scale offensive, however, is impossible, because Turkey does not want to risk a military confrontation with the US soldiers. Bolton's note on the protection for the Syrian Kurds underlines that need to keep Turkey in the North, Syria in the first place presumably.

Turkish media reports, a possible solution consists in the establishment of a U.S.-patrolled buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border, the YPG deduct. This would mean a significant military more effort by the Americans – although Trump is going to withdraw the troops.

An officer in the U.S. army, speaks with soldiers from the Kurdish militia YPG.Photo: Delil Souleiman/AFP

other plans for Erdogan's falter. US media reports that Washington sees the commitment made by Turkey to combat IS in Syria with skepticism. Ankara has, therefore, the necessary military resources to the jihadists on the Turkish border to attack in their last retreat around 200 kilometres to the South.

Turkey lack the necessary military resources

The "Wall Street Journal" reported at the weekend, citing in particular referred to high government sources, Turkey asked for help for air strikes, transports and logistics. "The Turkish requests are so extensive, that, if fully met, the U.S. military would deepen its involvement in Syria, instead of reducing them," - said in the report.

Alone in the second half of December, USA and YPG U.S. military is not attacked, according to nearly 500 Times the IS-positions-and – such a magnitude of trust in America, Turkey and their Syrian allies. Turkish Ask for the help of the United States in future attacks on the IS to be ignored in Washington.

Bolton, chief of staff General Joseph Dunford and the Syria Envoy James Jeffrey want to try in talks in Ankara to find a common line with the Turkey. At the same time Pompeo tries and a trip to the middle East to limit the damage, because trump's Syria policy unsettled American Partner in the Region as a whole.

Bolton has already secured on Sunday during a visit to Jerusalem, Israel, and other allies of the continued support of the United States to a withdrawal from Syria. A deduction from the North-East of Syria should happen, "the (Terrorist) Islamic state is beaten and does not recover again and again, a threat can be," said Bolton, after a Meeting with the Israeli head of government Benjamin Netanyahu.

More about

Syria and The winners are

Thomas Seibert

Bolton said, they wanted to ensure "the defense of Israel and our other friends in the Region and also to those who care, who have fought with us against the IS and other terrorist groups". The US support for Israel's right to self-defense no doubt could exist, - said Bolton. (with dpa)