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The seeds of destruction casted by the US-led intervention continue to grow their bloody sprouts in the Middle East. Syria and Iraq, once thrown into the chaos of war instigated by foreign-sponsored terrorist groups, are yet to restore themselves from actions of the ‘friends of democracy’. Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists, often labeled as freedom fighters by NATO members, still control a large chunk of northern Syria. Even ISIS, which was supposedly defeated with at least visual participation of the ‘forces of democracy’, still remains the permanent source of threats in both Syria and Iraq. The self-proclaimed Caliphate was demolished, but its members are still active all around the Middle East and beyond.
On December 7, Peshmerga forces of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region carried out a series of raids in response to recent ISIS attacks. As of now, these efforts led to little result but they are important to show the concern of the Kurdish leaders over the deteriorating security situation. Just on December 5, ISIS propaganda outlet Amaq released photos showing the attack on a Peshmerga unit and civilian houses in the village of Khadir Jijah. The terrorists reportedly killed nine Peshmerga members and wounded five others. Three civilians were also killed, while another one sustained injures. In the first days of December, reports about the increased ISIS activity also appeared from the Iraqi side of the Syrian border. ISIS cells enjoy freedom of movement in the desert area. The chaos around al-Tanf, which was turned by the US into a no-go zone for Syrian government forces, also contributes to this cause.
During the large-scale operations against ISIS, Iraqi Kurdistan remained one of the safest regions of Iraq. Nonetheless, now, when the vestiges of ISIS are focused on guerrilla warfare, the leadership of the Kurdish autonomous region seems to be unable to fully guarantee security there.
US troops themselves suffer from Washington’s Janus-faced policies. On the one hand, the White House declares its commitment to the fight on terrorists. On the other hand, it does all that is possible to prevent the restoration of stability in the region thus creating favorable conditions for ISIS and al-Qaeda operations there. No surprise that this approach leads to some difficulties on the ground.
Late on December 4, three rockets reportedly hit the coalition base at the CONICO gas facility in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. The attack reportedly led to no casualties, while US-sponsored media outlets rushed to blame the Damascus government for the attack. ISIS cells that are regularly spotted near US forces on both banks of the Euphrates River are apparently clear from suspicion. On December 5, the US-led coalition reportedly held a live-fire exercise at CONICO and increased number of patrols by military helicopters. As of December 7, US forces there appear to remain in the state of increased readiness.
Al-Qaeda lovers in Idlib also spent time productively. On December 4, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham targeted a position of the al-Quds Brigade near al-Sa’diyah in western Aleppo with a US-supplied TOW anti-tank guided missile. The pro-government Palestinian group reported that one of its fighters was killed. On December 5, Ansar al-Tawhid terrorist group shelled a Syrian Army position near Dara al-Kabira in southern Idlib. Army troops reportedly suffered no casualties. Since then, no ceasefire violations have been reported in this part of Syria. Nonetheless, there are no doubts that they will be reported soon. NATO member states have little interest in helping Syria and Iraq to recuperate from the years of conflicts. Instead, they see the territories of these countries as one of a multiple location battleground needed to strike their ‘geopolitical enemies’ and promote their global agenda.
