Reports of US Syria Pullout Greatly Exaggerated
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
Since Trump announced the pullout of US forces from Syria on December 19, not a single Pentagon military personnel was withdrawn.
All that’s happened so far is the movement of equipment around on the Middle East chessboard, redeploying it, clearly not pulling out.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Sean Ryan lied saying the so-called coalition (meaning 95% America, Britain and France most of the rest) “has begun the process of our deliberate withdrawal from Syria. Out of concern for operational security, we will not discuss specific timelines, locations or troops movements.”
Pentagon reports can never be taken at face value. They’re willfully and consistently deceptive. The indefinite timeline for withdrawing US forces from Syria is code language for delay to keep them in place, perhaps adding to their numbers.
According to Fars News, the US sent “500 truckloads of military equipment to Deir Ezzor despite Trump’s pullout call” - an announcement Bolton, Pompeo, and Pentagon Joint Chiefs running his regime’s geopolitical agenda oppose.
The large convoy carried weapons and equipment to Eastern Syria, the third one since Trump’s December announcement, indicating US forces are staying, not leaving.
According to the Arabic-language Xeber 24 website, a US military convoy consisting of scores of trucks carrying weapons and equipment arrived at the Pentagon’s base in Hasaka province, located in northeastern Syria.
Reports on the ground indicate not a single US soldier left the country - over three weeks after Trump’s announcement. Another Pentagon convoy of around 200 trucks with weapons, munitions, and equipment was sent from US bases in Iraq to Manbij, Raqqa, and Ein Issa in northeastern Syria.
A Kurdish report said Pentagon trucks arrived in Amouda in northeastern Syria en route to a US military base in the area.
Fars News said “(t)he Army has sent new military convoys to a military base under its occupation in Northeastern Aleppo despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria,” according to local sources on the ground.
The Pentagon continues sending convoys of weapons, munitions and equipment to its Syrian bases - “reinforcing its military bases in Eastern Euphrates,” Fars News explained.
Separately, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said his nation’s military personnel will remain in Syria until “a political solution” is reached - code language for regime change, indicating the Macron regime intends staying in Syria along with US forces indefinitely.
UK forces are likely to remain as well. Britain’s war ministry said “(w)e do not comment on special forces.”
On Thursday, the Arabic-language Al-Maloumeh website cited a security force on the ground, saying the Pentagon plans building four new military bases in Iraq’s Anbar province, bordering Syria’s Deir Ezzor province.
Other US bases are being built in Iraqi Kurdistan and elsewhere along the border with Syria. Statements by Bolton and Pompeo, saying the US remains committed to keep combatting ISIS (it supports) is further code language, indicating the Trump regime’s intention to remain in Syria and Iraq, not leave either country.
Pompeo saying “(w)hen America retreats, chaos follows. America will not retreat until the terror fight (it supports) is over” is about as clear as its gets about the US intention to remain wherever its forces are deployed - in the Middle East and everywhere else.
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