Why US attacked pro-assad militia convoy in Syria

THE PENTAGON’S account of its Thursday-night air strike on proassad militia forces in Syria concealed the real story of a race to the Syrian-iraqi border by armed groups working for both the US and the Syrian regime.

Indeed, what was described by the Americans as a minor action was part of a far more important struggle between the US and the Syrian regime for control of the south-eastern frontier of Syria, a vital supply line for Iran to maintain its forces in the country.

According to the Syrians, the US destroyed not one but four T-62 tanks and a Shilka ZSU-23-4 Sovietmade radar-guided anti-aircraft vehicle manned by both Shia Iraqi militiamen loyal to Damascus and a unit of armed Iranians.

Their intention – to set up strongpoints in the largely empty land in advance of the Us-trained forces – was an attempt by the Syrian government to keep open the route between Iraq and Syria.

Six of the pro-syrian militia were killed in the US air strike and 25 wounded, but forces under the command of the Syrian army intend to continue their reconnaissance missions towards al-tanf.

The Syrians were obviously trying to test the US’S resolve to move its anti-assad militia forces deeper into the south-east of the country – and the US was prepared to show it would press on.

But the Syrian-iraqi frontier town of al-tanf may turn out to be a key strategic point in the struggle of the Assad government to regain its national territory and keep open its border to Iraq and, by extension, to Iran.

Although US jets were involved in Thursday’s air strikes, the forces on the ground comprised largely proxy fighters – belonging to both the American-trained “rebel” opposition and to the Syrian military.

If US personnel were accompanying the rebels, then they were lucky that neither the Russians nor Syrian army personnel were present on the other side.

For the Pentagon to suggest that this was a sideshow to the US’S battle against the Islamic State was to stretch the truth in the Middle East.

Cutting Syria off from Iraq – and thus from Iran – appears to be a far more immediate operational aim of US forces in Syria than the elimination of the Sunni “Caliphate” cult. – The Independent