A convoy carrying military aid to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) drive near the northeastern Syrian city of Hasaka, Syria February 24, 2017. Picture taken February 24, 2017.
Spokesman Talal Sello of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is dominated by the PKK’s Syria offshoot, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), said on Friday that the U.S. has promised its support to the group, including the delivery of heavy weaponry in the coming days.
Sello’s comments were made to the French Press Agency following a secret visit by the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Gen. Joseph Votel. Sello said that in the meeting with Votel, they “discussed the increase of coordination and support [to the SDF] in the era of Donald Trump.”
“There were promises of heavy weapons in future stages,” Sello said.
However, Votel’s spokesman Col. John Thomas stressed that the general did not make any specific promises about any type of weaponry.
“During the conversation, Gen. Votel understood their need for logistical support and resources that may be greater than what they have been provided up until now,” Thomas said. “While assuring them that this was a need he understands, he did not make specific promises.”
In an online statement, Sello said Gen. Votel had met with several SDF commanders.
“The results were positive. We discussed the developments in the ‘Euphrates Rage’ campaign and shared military matters,” the SDF spokesman said, describing the meeting as “confirmation of U.S. support for our forces.”
CENTCOM released on Saturday photos of the weapons delivery to Arab fighters as well as a recruit training center of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in northern Syria. A tweet posted on the official account of CENTCOM also called a group of female SDF fighters “the first class of professionally trained female recruits”.
Reuters on Friday released several photos of a convoy carrying military supplies and armored vehicles in northern Syria’s Hasaka city, the same location the U.S. previously sent military aid for the group. The photos were released following a secret visit by General Joseph Votel, the head of CENTCOM, to northern Syria, where he met with senior SDF officials this week.
U.S. support for the SDF — which includes Kurdish, Turkmen and Arab elements — remains a source of contention between Washington and Ankara.
MORE: https://www.dailysabah.com/syrian-crisis/2017/02/25/us-to-supply-heavy-weaponry-armored-vehicles-to-ypg-dominated-group-in-northern-syria
Categories: America, Americas, Syria, The Muslim Times, Turkey, United States
There is no plan of ‘the day after’, whenever any location is liberated from daesh (IS, ISIS). To whom will the towns /. villages be handed over? Syrian Government? Kurdish separatists? The ‘men behind the scenes’ (Americans, Turks, Russians) cannot agree. So what are additional weapons for? Just to destroy, so that there is nothing left to be handed over? Problem solved?