Page 8 - Aruba Today

A8

world NEWSThursday 3 December 2015

US-backed alliance faces challenges as a force in Syria

ZEINA KARAM State, already faces op- IS in Syria, with some esti- cano, an alliance of Kurd forces in the alliance —
BASSEM MROUE position from other groups mates putting the number and Arab factions that last an apparent effort to al-
Associated Press fighting to topple President of fighters affiliated with year liberated Kobani from lay Turkish concerns about
BEIRUT (AP) — Drawing on Bashar Assad because the group at nearly 40,000. Islamic State militants. It in- Washington’s support for
thousands of combatants those groups widely distrust “The Syria Democratic cludes Arab forces such as the YPG. The YPG is seen
from Syria’s mix of religious the Kurds. Forces are the most orga- the Sanadid force, main- by Turkey as an extension
and ethnic groups, a U.S.- And while the coalition nized in the Syrian chaos,” ly drawn from the Arab of the Kurdish PKK, which
Shammar tribe; a Christian has waged a long insur-
Kurdish fighters of the YPG flash victory signs as they sit on their pickup on their way to battle militia known as the Syriac gency against Ankara.
Military Council, which in- The alliance has said it
against the Islamic State, near Kezwan mountain, northeast Syria. Drawing on thousands of cludes Assyrians; the main- wants to liberate Hassakeh
ly Arab Jazira Brigades; province from IS and move
fighters from Syria’s mix of religious and ethnic groups, a U.S.-backed alliance called the Syrian the Seljuk Brigade, which on to the militants’ strong-
consists mostly of Turkmen hold in Raqqa. U.S. officials
Democratic Forces has emerged as the most effective fighting force against the Islamic State forces; and the Jaysh al- have announced plans to
Thuwar group, which in- deploy dozens of special
group in Syria. (YPG via AP) cludes U.S.-backed reb- operations forces in Syria
els who were routed from to support it.
backed alliance called has been capturing ter- said Kurdish activist Mus- Idlib and Aleppo provinces Last month, it success-
the Syrian Democratic ritory steadily in northern tafa Bali, speaking from earlier this year by the al- fully dislodged IS from the
Forces has emerged as Syria from the extremists, the Kurdish town of Kobani Qaida branch in Syria, the strategic town of Hol near
the most effective fighting it is hampered greatly by in northern Syria. He said Nusra Front. the border with Iraq. That
force against the Islamic its inability to retake areas the group has a united Most of those groups are came just as the Kurdish
State group. with a majority Sunni Arab command stretching from small and poorly equipped. peshmerga in Iraq took
But the dominant role of population. the predominantly Kurdish Apart from the YPG, they over the town of Sinjar from
Kurdish fighters in the alli- In a devastated landscape town of al-Malikiyah in the lack military capabilities the extremists, cutting off a
ance is a concern for ma- where extremists and Is- east to Afrin in the west, beyond defending their main route from Raqqa to
jority Sunni Arab factions lamic groups largely pre- with new members joining towns and villages. IS holdings in Iraq and mak-
and their regional back- side, the Syrian Democratic the alliance on daily basis. The alliance was an- ing movements of fighters
ers, raising questions about Forces are the closest thing The group is led by the main nounced in the predomi- and supplies more difficult.
the group’s future role in a to an inclusive and moder- Kurdish fighting force in Syr- nantly Kurdish province It also has captured towns
broader political context in ate fighting force in Syria. ia, the People’s Protection of Hassakeh on Oct. 10, and villages in the prov-
Syria. It represents the largest of Units, known as the YPG. It a day after the U.S. said it ince and is moving south
The coalition, which focus- the non-government fight- seeks to build on the suc- was abandoning its effort toward the IS stronghold of
es on fighting the Islamic ing forces arrayed against cess of the Euphrates Vol- to build a new rebel force Shaddadeh.
inside Syria to combat the Col. Talal Sillu, a spokesman
Islamic State group, ac- for the Syrian Democratic
knowledging the failure of Forces, said although they
its $500 million campaign have not received weap-
to train thousands of fight- ons from the U.S. beyond
ers. the one air drop, he is satis-
Instead, the U.S. said it fied with the U.S.-led coali-
would provide support tion’s response to their air-
for those already fighting strike requests.
the IS group, which also is “They are participating
known as ISIS, ISIL and its with us effectively, and
Arabic acronym, Daesh. they are helping us in the
A few days after the new victory against the Daesh
alliance was formed, the terrorist organization,” he
U.S. dropped weapons told The Associated Press in
and ammunition to Arab a telephone interview.q

Islamic State releases video claiming to kill Russian spy

JIM HEINTZ Foreign Ministry or its FSB Bashar Assad. is from Chechnya, identi- with his Russian intelligence
Associated Press security service. There was IS claimed responsibility fies himself as Magomed handler, but was arrested
MOSCOW (AP) — The Is- also no indication when for bombing a Russian air- Khasayev and says he is a by IS.
lamic State group on and where the video was liner shortly after it took off spy sent to IS-held territo- The video then shifts to
Wednesday released a produced. from the Egyptian resort of ries with orders from Rus- showing the man kneeling
video in which a Russian- Russia on Sept. 30 launched Sharm al-Sheikh in mid-Oc- sian intelligence to identify on a beach while another
speaking man confesses to airstrikes in Syria that it says tober, killing all 224 people fighters who seek to return man stands behind him,
spying for Russia’s security are focused on IS fighters aboard. to the Caucasus region to delivering a speech to Rus-
service and then is shown and the illegal oil trade The video begins with a carry out attacks. sian President Vladimir Pu-
apparently being behead- that funds them. However, graphic in Arabic and Rus- He says he was pressured tin.
ed by another Russian- critics in both Syria and sian, saying “You will be into working for the FSB, to The man, brandishing a
speaking man. abroad claim that Russia conquered and humiliat- report on Russians who had knife, says in Russian, “Lis-
The authenticity of the is heavily targeting other ed, O Russians.” gone to fight with theIslam- ten to me, Putin, you dog”
video or the claims in it rebel groups not affiliated Then a bearded man ap- ic State. He says he trav- and declaring that Rus-
could not immediately be with IS, in order to back up pearing to be in his late eled to Turkey and then sians will be killed in retalia-
confirmed and there was the forces of longtime Mos- 20s is shown speaking was sent by an IS recruiter tion for Russia’s airstrikes in
no comment from Russia’s cow ally Syrian President from a chair. He says he to Iraq, and had contacts Syria against IS.q