Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 26 July 2017
Kurdish official says US role essential in post-IS Syria

group’s self-proclaimed particularly as the battle
capital of Raqqa from the for Raqqa took off. Despite
militants. She is also a senior Turkish protests, the U.S.
politician in the increasing- sent new weapons and ve-
ly powerful Kurdish group hicles to the YPG to enable
that declared areas of self- it in the fight against IS.
administration in northern The U.S. has up to 1,000
Syria last year, sparking the troops in Syria mostly in-
ire of Turkey, another U.S. volved in training and
ally. advising the local forces
Ankara considers the Peo- against IS. The U.S. admin-
ple’s Protection Units, or istration has made clear it
YPG, the Kurdish militia that does not intend to be en-
forms the backbone of the gaged in post-liberation
Syrian Democratic Forces, governance or rebuild-
as linked to the outlawed ing. U.S. officials say once
Kurdish insurgency in Turkey Raqqa is liberated, the SDF
and fears their expansion will hand over local gover-
along its borders. nance to the Raqqa Civil-
“If the Americans want ian Council, a local group
to protect the security of of primarily Arab locals who
these areas and protect will govern and administer
their (own) country from essential services.
Ilham Ahmed, the co-president of the Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of the Kurd- terrorism, they must con- “Raqqa has been subject-
ish-led forces backed by the US in Raqqa, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, tinue until a democratic ed to destruction of its in-
in Kobani town, north Syria, Tuesday, July 25, 2017. system is built in Syria,” frastructure,” said Ahmed,
Ahmed said. She said the highlighting the beating
By SARAH EL DEEB construction, a senior Syr- but should continue as a U.S. should recognize that the city has taken in the ef-
Associated Press ian Kurdish official said guarantor of stability until a the crisis in Syria is not only fort to retake it from IS.
KOBANI, Syria (AP) — The Tuesday. political future for the war- about defeating IS but also “There are no more institu-
Kurdish-led effort to secure In an interview with The As- torn country is charted. about building a demo- tions. (Raqqa) is destroyed.
Raqqa once it is liberat- sociated Press in the Kurd- Ahmed is the co-president cratic system that protects This council has to be sup-
ed from the Islamic State ish-administered town of of the Syrian Democratic against radical groups tak- ported to reconstruct and
group will require long-term Kobani, Ilham Ahmed said Council, the political wing ing over again. to secure the daily needs
U.S. political and financial the U.S. role in the fight of the U.S.-backed Kurdish- Kurdish forces have gained of its residents so they can
support for the battered against IS must not end with led force currently fighting confidence in light of open remain in their homes with-
city’s governance and re- the liberation of the Raqqa to liberate the Islamic State U.S. support to their forces, out having to migrate.” q
Syria activists:

Despite truce, strikes near Damascus kill 8

mascus with no reports of
casualties.
The Syrian Civil Defense
group, more popularly
known as the White Hel-
mets, and the Britain-
based Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights say the
airstrikes on Arbeen killed
eight and wounded doz-
ens. The White Helmets
said the eight killed includ-
ed five children and two
This photo shows citizens clearing debris in a street a day af- women.
ter airstrikes hit, in the Damascus suburb of Arbeen, Syria, Tues- Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi
day, July, 25, 2017. Syrian opposition activists and a paramedic
group say that airstrikes in the Damascus suburb have killed of the Russian Military Gen-
several people, including children. eral Staff had said ear-
(Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP) lier that Moscow deployed
military police to monitor
BEIRUT (AP) — Airstrikes in opposition activists and the cease-fire in a safe
a Damascus suburb have a paramedic group said zone in the eastern suburbs
killed eight people, includ- Tuesday. of Damascus.
ing children, the area’s The airstrikes on Arbeen, In neighboring Lebanon,
first casualties since Russia just before midnight Mon- two international human
said three days ago that day, also caused mate- rights groups called on
it reached an agreement rial damage. Residents in Lebanese authorities to dis-
with the Syrian opposition Damascus said insurgent close their findings into the
on the boundaries for a groups fired several shells fate of four Syrian refugees
de-escalation zone in the an hour later that fell near who died while in custody
capital’s eastern suburbs, the Russian embassy in Da- of the Lebanese army. q