General Joseph Votel, commander of US Central Command visited northern Syria on 21 MayREUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. general recommends arming, aiding Syrian fighters after pullout
MUSCAT (Reuters) - The United States should keep arming and aiding the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) following the planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria, provided the group keeps up the pressure on Islamic State, a senior U.S. general told Reuters on Friday.
The recommendation by Army General Joseph Votel, who oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East as head of Central Command, is one of the strongest signs yet of U.S. military hopes for an enduring partnership with the SDF despite the concerns of NATO ally Turkey, which says Kurdish SDF fighters are terrorists.
“As long as they are fighting against ISIS and continue to keep pressure on them, I think it would seem to me to be in our interest to continue to provide the means for them to do that,” Votel said in an interview, using an acronym for Islamic State.
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WNU Editor: The Kurds have lived and fought in this part of the world for centuries. I am confident that they will survive when the U.S. leaves. But will the U.S. continue to aid the Kurds after they have left? I suspect that this relationship will continue even if U.S. forces are not there.
