29 Mar 2024
Thursday 28 April 2016 - 11:16
Story Code : 211597

New US forces to Syria must fight Daesh, not Assad - Congresswoman

The additional US Special Operations Forces deployed to Syria should wage a war against the Daesh, not a parallel US war against Syrian President Bashar Assad, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard told Sputnik.





WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Leandra Bernstein Gabbard criticized the US alliance withSyrian moderate rebels which she described as "completely intertwined" withJabhat al-Nusra (al-Nusra Front) and al-Qaeda.
"There are two wars that the US is waging inSyria right now, one is the war tooverthrow the Syrian government ofAssadthe other war is todefeat ISIS [Daesh]," Gabbard said onWednesday.




Gabbard said she supports Obamas decision todeploy the additional forces, if they are partnering withKurdish forces innorthern Syria todefeat Daesh.
"If they are working with [the] so-called Syrian moderate opposition, who are fighting tooverthrow Assad, then they should not be doing that," Gabbard stated. "They shouldnt be there if that is the mission they have been given."


Earlier this week, President Barack Obama ordered 250 additional Special Operations Forces togo toSyria toengage ina non-combat role. The Pentagon reported that the additional forces will be providing support tothe regional forces engaged inthe fight againstDaesh.

Providing training and assistance tojihadist-linked rebels inSyria is "completely counterproductive and is undermining the war that we should be focusing on, which is todefeat ISIS and al-Qaeda and these other Islamic extremist groups," she asserted.

In 2015, the Pentagon embarked ona failed $500 million train and equip mission, which vetted Syrian rebels tofight exclusively againstIslamic State forces. The failure ofthe 2015 program led the Pentagon toloosen requirements forSyrian rebels, opening the pool ofrecruits toleaders ofarmed groups that also sought tooverthrow the Assad government.

By Sputnik
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