A damaged poster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo after a major attack by rebels who swept into the city on November 30, 2024.
CHERRY MEIGH TIMBOL
CNN | Published December 3, 2029
The surprise offensive on Aleppo by Syrian rebel groups has left the US in the difficult position of not fully supporting either side while also maintaining a force posture of nearly 1,000 troops in Syria as part of the ongoing mission to fight ISIS.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, on Monday distanced the US from the offensive last week, in which rebel groups quickly advanced on and took Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, for the first time in years.
“Let me be clear that the US is in no way involved in the operations you see playing out in and around Aleppo in northwestern Syria, which as you know are being led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a designated terrorist organization,” he said in reference to a group known as HTS, adding that the US “is urging de-escalation.”
The dilemma for the US was further put into focus by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who told CNN on Sunday that HTS is a “a terrorist organization designated by the United States. So, we have real concerns about the designs and objectives of that organization.”
“At the same time, of course, we don’t cry over the fact that the Assad government, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, are facing certain kinds of pressure,” Sullivan added. “So, it’s a complicated situation. It’s one we’re monitoring closely, and we’re staying in close touch with regional partners about it.”
The founder of HTS, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, previously started a different group, an al Qaeda Syrian affiliate called Jabhat al-Nusra. And despite efforts by HTS to distance itself from al Qaeda, the US designated the group a terror organization in 2018, saying it evolved from the original group, Jabhat al-Nusrah.
“As you know, they are formerly known as ‘Nusrah Front,’ an al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, but bottom line is: still a designated terrorist organization,” Ryder said Monday of HTS.
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SOURCE: www.cnn.com
RELATED: US in dilemma in Syria as rebel forces make massive advances after seizing Aleppo
The Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder has distanced the United States on Monday from the sudden offensive by the rebel group which seized Aleppo from the Syrian regime.
A Syrian opposition fighter tears up a painting depicting Syrian President Bashar Assad and his late father Hazef Assad at the Aleppo international airpot in Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. .(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
THE INDIAN EXPRESS | Published December 3, 2029
The attack by Syrian rebel group on the country’s second biggest city Aleppo and seizing it has left the United States in a state of dilemma as it is not taking any position related to the recent attack while maintaining 1,000 troops in Syria as part of the ongoing mission to fight ISIS.
The Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder has distanced the United States on Monday from the sudden offensive by the rebel group which seized Aleppo from the Syrian regime and has quickly advanced further.
“Let me be clear that the US is in no way involved in the operations you see playing out in and around Aleppo in northwestern Syria, which as you know are being led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terrorist organization and US is urging de-escalation,” Ryder said as per the CNN.
Making the position difficult for the US was National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s statement to the CNN wherein he said that the rebel forces attacking the Syrian regime are designated as terrorist organizations by the US.
“At the same time, of course, we don’t cry over the fact that the Assad government, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, are facing certain kinds of pressure. So, it’s a complicated situation. It’s one we’re monitoring closely, and we’re staying in close touch with regional partners about it,” Sullivan added as quoted by CNN.
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SOURCE: www.indianexpress.com
