Top U.S. Middle East commander visits East Syria, meets with SDF Commander Abdi

NORTH AND EAST SYRIA – On an unannounced tour of five military bases in North and East Syria, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, General Frank McKenzie, offered assurances that the United States was still committed to its mission in Syria. McKenzie said that the operations against the Islamic State (ISIS) are increasing after a decline due to the rising tensions with Iran and the need to focus on increasing security.

Last year, following a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered U.S. forces to withdraw from Syria, as part of his promise to bring the troops home and end the war. The sudden withdrawal shocked allies and enemies alike and resulted in a Turkish invasion of North Syria which now occupies a strip of land between the northern cities of Tel Abyad and Rish Ayno (Ras al-Ain). The Turkish invasion has displaced upwards of 300,000 people, killed hundreds of civilians, and led to the perpetration of countless crimes by Turkish-backed Syrian proxy forces. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the U.S.’s partner force in the region, suffered heavily at the hands of the U.S.’s other ally, Turkey.

Trump partially reversed his order of complete withdrawal and redirected a contingent of U.S. several hundred strong to secure the oil fields in East Syria and assist the SDF in combatting the IS insurgency.

Mackenzie, who met the Commander-in-Chief of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi, at an unidentified military base in East Syria on Saturday morning, said the commander wanted guarantees that U.S. forces will continue to support his fighters.

McKenzie’s answer was that the United States would continue to fight “ISIS” in partnership with the SDF and help guard the oil fields, but he did not specify a time frame for this.

He added, while at the military outpost of al-Khaddraa village, east of Deir Ezzor: “He knows that, and I confirm that we will not be here for a hundred years, and frankly, I don’t know how long we will stay here. I have instructions only to continue working with our partners.”