U.S. Reinforces Military Presence in Syria Despite ‘Withdrawal’ Claims
DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – The Pentagon has been quietly increasing the U.S. military presence in Syria despite repeated announcements about plans for “troop withdrawals.”
More than 100 trucks carrying military and logistical reinforcements have arrived at the U.S.-led coalition bases across northeastern Syria over the past two days, Iraq’s Shafaq News reported.
The U.S.-led troops reinforcements come despite recent Pentagon announcements regarding troop reduction and base closures in the West Asian country.
Eyewitnesses saw military trucks, crossing into Syria from Iraq via the al-Waleed border transporting military vehicles, fuel, food, water, and sealed containers suspected to contain weapons and ammunition.
The trucks delivered the supplies to U.S. coalition bases in Khrab al-Jeer, Qasrak, and al-Shaddadi in Syria’s Hasakah province.
“Weekly deliveries of military and logistical equipment are ongoing,” a source in the SDF group of Kurdish militants told Shafaq News.
The SDF source confirmed that U.S. forces remain stationed at their bases in Syrian Kurdish-controlled territories, claiming cooperation with the local forces “to safeguard civilians and public institutions”.
Over the past several years, multiple reports have pointed to Washington’s extending support, either directly or indirectly through its regional allies, to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group .
The recent surge in US military assets in Syria comes amid renewed warnings by regional and western intelligence sources that the Daesh Takfiri terrorist forces are actively seeking to re-emerge in both Syria and Iraq.
According to a Reuters report published on Thursday, citing over 20 officials and diplomats from Syria and Iraq, the Daesh Takfiri leadership is reactivating dormant cells for terror and militants operations, distributing weapons, identifying targets, and ramping up recruitment efforts across both countries.
Since 2014, the Pentagon has claimed that the deployment of American troops is aimed to prevent Daesh from regaining control of strategic oilfields.
However, analysts say the deployment of U.S. troops in Syria is primarily aimed at exploiting the country’s natural resources, particularly crude oil.
U.S. President Donald Trump has openly acknowledged on several occasions that American forces are stationed in the Arab country to secure and control its oil wealth.