The US faces a 'dilemma' in Syria.
The surprise attack on Aleppo by Syrian rebel groups has put the US in a difficult position, as it maintains more than 4,000 troops there on a counter-terrorism mission.
Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder stressed on December 2nd that the U.S. "has no connection whatsoever" to the fact that rebel groups, for the first time in eight years, have rapidly risen up and seized Aleppo – Syria's second-largest city.
"I want to state clearly that the United States is not involved in the operations being carried out by rebels in Aleppo and surrounding northwestern Syria, under the direction of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)," General Ryder said, while emphasizing that the US is urging all parties to de-escalate the situation.
The US's "dilemma" was further clarified by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who pointed out that Washington has long considered HTS a terrorist organization, and therefore, the US is genuinely concerned about HTS's objectives. At the same time, US officials believe that the renewed tensions in the Syrian conflict are due to President Bashar al-Assad's government "relying too heavily on support from Russia and Iran," without seeking a long-term political solution.
"So, this is a complex situation. The U.S. is monitoring the situation and maintaining close contact with partners in the region on this issue," Sullivan said.
According to TASS on December 3, Major General Pat Ryder said that the commander of the US Joint Task Force used a hotline with Russia to ensure that communication channels were open, given that US and Russian forces in Syria operate in relatively close proximity. Ryder did not elaborate on the details of the contacts between the two sides, but noted that Russia and the US have communication mechanisms to prevent “potential miscalculations.”
The US deployed forces to Syria under former President Barack Obama under the pretext of combating the Islamic State (IS). Although it withdrew most of its forces from Syria after IS was defeated, the US still maintains some military bases and continues to cooperate with several armed groups opposed to the Syrian government, primarily Kurdish forces, under the ulterior motive of preventing IS resurgence.
After eight years of relative quiet, rebels are taking advantage of the weakening of forces supporting President al-Assad to resurface in Syria. They have seen new opportunities as Hezbollah in Lebanon suffers heavy losses in its war with Israel, Iran faces increasing pressure, and Russia is achieving its objectives in its special military operation in Ukraine.
