Pentagon officials appear anxious to begin a U.S.-backed assault on the Islamic State’s capital of Raqqa to stop western terrorist plots.
There is a “sense of urgency” in disrupting the plots, Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend told reporters Wednesday. Townsend did not specify where ISIS is planning on striking in the West. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter doubled down on Townsend’s comments telling NBCNews in Paris that the operation “starts in the next few weeks.”
U.S. backed forces found evidence of Syrian ISIS connections to terrorist plots in Europe when they retook the city of Manbij in September, Townsend indicated. “Coming out of Manbij, we found links to individuals and plot streams to France, the United States, other European countries,” he elaborated. “We know that this is going on in Raqqa as well,” Townsend continued. “And so I think that’s why it’s necessary to get down there to Raqqa.”
The U.S. plan to retake Raqqa hinges on the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF are composed of an ethnic coalition of fighters concentrated on fighting ISIS over the Assad regime. The SDF draws significant pushback from NATO ally Turkey, for its dependence on ethnic Kurdish forces. Turkey claims to have killed 200 U.S.-backed fighters as recently as Oct. 20.
Turkey invaded northern Syria in late August, 2016, specifically to prevent Kurdish SDF forces from controlling too much territory. Turkey regards a Kurdish state as a threat to its existence, just as it views ISIS. “We’re going to go with who can go, who’s willing to go soon,” Townsend told reporters, indicating Kurdish fighters will participate in the Raqqa operation.
“The Syrian Kurdish Y.P.G. do not truly desire to shed blood to capture a majority-Sunni Arab city far from their vision of their autonomous borders, while Turkey cares about the operation only insofar as the Syrian Kurdish Y.P.G. is not allowed to participate in it,” Institute for the Study of War Syria Analyst Christopher Kozak told The New York Times.
Follow Saagar Enjeti on Twitter
Send tips to saagar@
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.