An undisclosed number of U.S. special operations troops have been given a new mission: Stand around looking imposing in order to keep one faction of Kurds backed by Turkey from fighting another group of Kurds backed by the U.S.
The Pentagon calls it a “reassurance and deterrence” mission, and it’s a result of the complicated mix of forces now operating in Northern Syria, and amid a dispute between the U.S. and Turkey over who is in control of the city of Manbij, liberated from Islamic State control last year.
The U.S. insists the city is now occupied by the Manbij Military Council, a predominately Arab force. But Turkey suspects there are also Kurds there who are members of the YPG, or People Protection Units, which Turkey believes are terrorists.
The U.S. has now positioned its forces and a small number of Stryker armored vehicles on the western outskirts of the city to dissuade any fighters, whether they are backed by Turkey or the Syrian government, from trying to enter the city.
“Their legitimate enemy, ISIS, is to the south, and that’s where anyone seeking to fight anyone there should be focusing on,” said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.
While U.S. troops are close to Russian and Syrian regime forces, as well as Turkish-backed Kurds, combat between the U.S. and the rival factions is not anticipated. The U.S. special operations forces are literally there to show the flag, and by their very presence prevent conflict, Davis said.
“We are there to reassure and deter,” Davis said. “It means that we have some detachments of U.S. troops, that are visibly stationed, you’ve seen pictures of them [on social media] and in many cases they are flying flags, and they are in, and to the west of Manbij.”
Syria: #US convoy drives nearby Yalanli village in the outskirts of #Manbij. pic.twitter.com/7fl1PUsjTs
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) March 6, 2017
The U.S. does not disclose how many troops are in Syria. The cap on U.S. deployments there is 503, but commanders have authority to exceed that number on a short-term basis. In fact, Davis said, additional U.S. forces were brought in for this mission.
“We want to have a visible show that we are there in order to deter all parties from fighting anybody other than ISIS, and to reassure that ISIS has been driven from Manbij,” Davis said. “Manbij has been liberated and there’s not need for further fighting there.”
