U.S. plans border guard help in Syria
Blocking IS comeback training program’s aim
WASHINGTON — The United States is developing an expanded training program for local Kurdish and Arab border guards in Syria, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East said, to help head off the “significant risk” of Islamic State fighters regrouping in the country.
Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, said in a recent telephone interview that the border control training would reflect major combat operations in Syria ending and the U.s.-led coalition shifting focus to stabilizing areas seized from IS. Washington also wants to root out the remaining insurgents in Syria.
Votel wouldn’t say how many U.S. forces will remain in Syria or for how long but said the American military campaign in Syria will remain consistent. He suggested no imminent decrease in the U.S. troop level on the ground in Syria, which exceeds 2,000.
The border security forces “will help prevent resurgence of ISIS and will help bring control,” Votel said, adding that training will take place inside Syria. “We do it right where it’s needed.”
The training will include instruction in interrogation, screening, biometric scanning and other skills to help U.s.-backed Syrian forces identify insurgents who might be trying to cross into Syria from neighboring countries. The U.S. is discussing possible contributions from its coalition partners in Europe and the Arab world.
Votel pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration this month that IS was defeated in eastern Syria. Just days later, IS took over six villages in the area.
“You just can’t go in and have a fight and drop a bunch of bombs and then step away from it and think that the problem is solved,” Votel said. “This is a reminder of just how resilient and capable this organization is, and how we have to really make sure, as we complete these operations, that we’ve done it very thoroughly.”