Page 10 - aruba-today-20171223

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 23 december 2017

Melbourne: US pushing training in Syria

Police checking terror link to car ramming to prevent an IS resurgence

By TREVOR MARSHALLSEA a “singular” incident. fied anyone inciting him to By LOLITA C. BALDOR sible contributions from its
Associated Press On Friday morning, how- do any actions, or any prior Associated Press coalition partners in Eu-
SYDNEY (AP) — Australian ever, Patton said the man extremist activities prior to WASHINGTON (AP) — The rope and the Arab world.
police were investigating had made several utter- those utterances last night.” United States is develop- They may be more willing
Friday whether there was ances while under po- Seven of the 19 people ad- ing an expanded training to contribute troops now
any terrorism-related mo- lice guard in a hospital on mitted to the hospital were program for local Kurdish that the emphasis is on
tive behind the car ram- Thursday night, including discharged overnight. Mel- and Arab border guards stabilization and peace-
in Syria, the top U.S. com- keeping, not fighting. The
mander for the Middle increased training could
East said, to help head prove critical to restoring
off the “significant risk” of civil order in areas where
Islamic State fighters re- IS was ousted, and to pro-
grouping in the country. tecting Syria’s troubled
It’s an effort that could and porous frontiers with
entail a longer term Amer- Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon
ican and allied commit- and Jordan. Pockets of
ment. Army Gen. Joseph militants are entrenched
Votel, head of U.S. Central throughout Syria’s border
Command, said in a re- areas, so any campaign
cent telephone interview to eliminate them will be
with The Associated Press difficult. The U.S.-led co-
that the border control alition only controls part
training would reflect ma- of the Syrian border. It
jor combat operations in also may raise questions
Syria ending and the U.S.- about a shifting U.S. mis-
led coalition shifting focus sion in Syria. President
to stabilizing areas seized Donald Trump has made
from IS. Washington also clear his priority is defeat-
wants to root out the re- ing foreign terrorist orga-
maining insurgents in Syr- nizations, and not more
A damaged vehicle is seen at the scene of an incident on Flinders Street, in Melbourne, Thursday, ia. Votel wouldn’t say ex- amorphous efforts to build
December 21, 2017. Police have arrested a driver after a car drove into pedestrians on a sidewalk actly how many U.S. forc- nations or settle internal
in central Melbourne. es will remain in Syria or disputes in foreign lands.
(Joe Castro/AAP Image via AP) for how long, but said the Propping up a bigger bor-
American military cam- der force could mean a
ming attack on Melbourne mentioning poor treatment bourne media reported paign in Syria will remain longer U.S. campaign in
pedestrians that left 12 of Muslims, and that police three patients remained in consistent. He suggested Syria at a time the Trump
people in a hospital, three were still exploring terrorism critical condition, includ- no imminent decrease in administration has no
of them in critical condi- as a possible motive. ing an 83-year-old man, the U.S. troop level on the practical relationship
tion. “He made some utteranc- and that a 4-year-old boy’s ground in Syria, which cur- with the nation’s govern-
Prime Minister Malcolm es in respect to a number of condition had improved rently exceeds 2,000. ment and still talks about
Turnbull condemned the matters,” Patton told Aus- from critical to stable. The border security forces a political transition that
“despicable and cowardly tralia’s Channel Nine tele- Police said nine foreigners “will help prevent resur- might end Syrian Presi-
act.” Nine of the 19 people vision network. “He spoke were among the injured, gence of ISIS and will help dent Bashar Assad’s rule.
originally injured Thursday of dreams and voices but including from South Korea, bring control,” Votel said, Assad’s government and
were foreigners. also attributed some of his China, Italy, India, Venezu- adding that training will its partners — including
Victoria state police Acting activities as well due to the ela, Ireland and New Zea- take place inside Syria. Russia and Iran — have
Chief Commissioner Shane mistreatment of Muslims.” land. “Our consular officials “We do it right where it’s been separately trying
Patton said on Thursday Asked if there were links to are working hard to get in needed.” The training will to re-impose security in
night that early indications terrorism, he said: “That’s touch with their families and include instruction in inter- parts of the country they
were the driver of the car, certainly one area we’re make sure they’re aware of rogation, screening, bio- control. They’ve fought IS,
a 32-year-old Australian exploring in respect to mo- what’s happened to their metric scanning and other al-Qaida-linked militants
citizen of Afghan descent tivation.” loved ones,” Turnbull told a skills to help U.S.-backed and other more moder-
with a history of drug abuse But he added: “We haven’t press conference on Friday. Syrian forces identify in- ate rebel groups on the
and mental health issues, identified any extremist links Turnbull also reiterated that surgents who may be try- battlefield over the last
was not motivated by ter- with this man. We haven’t “no terrorism link has been ing to cross into Syria from year or so, but the sustain-
rorism. He said the ram- identified him linked to any identified” but that “noth- neighboring countries. ability of their successes is
ming was being treated as groups. We haven’t identi- ing should be ruled out.” q The U.S. is discussing pos- unclear.q