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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 11 May 2017
After eying visit to North Korea: Analysis: US risks backlash for

Trump offers US invite to South Korean leader growing role in Syrian conflict

By MATTHEW PENNINGTON couraged smooth relations with a Pyongyang delega-
Associated Press with the U.S. Moon’s more tion led by Choe Son Hui, By ZEINA KARAM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- liberal approach could fuel a senior diplomat for North BASSEM MROUE
dent Donald Trump on tensions, as happened un- America. They discussed Associated Press
Wednesday invited South der a liberal South Korean a range of nuclear, secu- BEIRUT (AP) — With the Trump administration’s decision
Korea’s new president to government in the 2000s. rity and bilateral issues, ac- to supply Syria’s Kurdish fighters with heavier weapons,
U.S. troops inside Syria are in the crossfire between Tur-
key, a powerful NATO ally, and the Kurdish fighters
that Ankara deems as terrorists.
In only a few months under President Donald Trump,
the U.S. has almost doubled the number of troops in
northern Syria, taking a highly visible role that also risks
a backlash from militants such as the Islamic State
group and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, and even
pro-Turkey Syrian fighters angered by the U.S. move to
arm the Kurds.
Tuesday’s decision to arm the Kurds is a public rebuff
to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a week
before he meets Trump in Washington. For months, Er-
dogan has been trying to convince the U.S. to cut off
its support for the Kurds and partner instead with Tur-
key-backed fighters to liberate the Islamic State group
stronghold of Raqqa.
The dispute could ignite more fighting between Turkey
and the Kurds as they gear up for a major operation
to retake the city, with U.S. troops smack in the middle.
The growing U.S. involvement in Syria’s civil war stands
in sharp contrast to the caution adopted by former
President Barack Obama and has alarmed officials in
Damascus and its backers in Tehran.
Last month, Trump gave orders to fire 59 Tomahawk
South Korea’s new President Moon Jae-In speaks during a press conference at the presidential missiles at an air base in central Syria in response to
Blue House in Seoul Wednesday, May 10, 2017. Moon said Wednesday he was open to visit- a devastating chemical weapons attack blamed on
ing rival North Korea under the right conditions to talk about Pyongyang’s aggressive pursuit of
nuclear-tipped missiles. (Jung Yeon-Je/Pool Photo via AP) Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces. It was the first
time the U.S. has attacked Syrian forces in the six-year
civil war.
visit the White House after The country hosts some cording to a person familiar Although U.S. officials have said repeatedly since then
an election victory that 28,000 U.S. forces. with the talks. The person that the war against the Islamic State group in Syria
could cause friction be- It will be headed by a vet- wasn’t authorized to pub- remains the priority, that strike — coupled with the
tween the allies over how eran operations officer to licly discuss the diplomacy buildup of forces in the north — has raised speculation
to deal with North Korea’s harness and direct the spy and demanded anonym- of longer term U.S. ambitions in Syria and concerns
nuclear threat. agency’s efforts in address- ity. about a more permanent project.
Trump wants to tighten an ing the nuclear and ballis- It was the first such “track Under Trump, the Pentagon has made quiet, incre-
economic vise and has tic missile threats. two” dialogue between mental additions to troop levels in Syria, adding hun-
raised the possibility of mili- The center will draw on of- the U.S. and North Korea dreds of Marines to provide artillery support and send-
tary force as the North ap- ficers from across the CIA since Trump took office. ing more advisers to work with Kurdish units ahead of
proaches the capability and “bring their exper- The U.S. side comprised the fight for Raqqa. The official limit on U.S. troops has
to threaten America with tise and creativity to bear Suzanne DiMaggio at the remained at 503 since shortly before Obama left of-
a nuclear-tipped missile. against the North Korea New America think tank, fice, but U.S. commanders this year have added hun-
Moon advocates a less target,” an agency state- former U.N. ambassador dreds of troops, including a Marine artillery unit, on
confrontational policy. As ment said. Thomas Pickering, retired what they call a temporary basis, raising the total to
he took the oath of office North Korea’s heightened four-star Adm. William Fal- about 900.
Wednesday, Moon Jae-in threat could change lon and former State De- These have taken on a more visible role, often aimed
said he was open to visiting Moon’s calculus once in partment nuclear negotia- at keeping Turkey and the Kurds from battling each
Pyongyang under the right power. He also may need tor Robert Einhorn. other and focused instead on the fight against IS.
conditions to discuss its nu- to forge political unity at The State Department On April 30, U.S. forces accompanied by Kurdish Peo-
clear program. home after months of up- would only say such meet- ple’s Protection Units (YPG) began patrols along the
In their phone call, Trump heaval that included his ings “are routinely held on Turkey-Syria border, acting as a buffer after Turkish air-
congratulated Moon on predecessor’s impeach- a variety of topics around strikes in the area killed 20 Kurdish fighters. The spokes-
his election victory and ment. That could slow any the world and occur inde- man for the U.S.-led coalition against IS, Col. John Dor-
his country’s “peaceful, attempt at rapprochement pendent of U.S. govern- rian, said U.S. troops were about 6 miles from the strikes
democratic transition of with the North’s unpredict- ment involvement.” and put American forces at risk.
power,” a White House able leader, Kim Jong Un, Moon, who was a close Images of U.S. troops in armored personnel carriers
statement said. The leaders at a time of broad interna- aide to Roh Moo-hyun, with American flags and maneuvering down rural
agreed to strengthen the tional support for sanctions. South Korea’s last leader roads in northern Syria spread quickly on social media,
alliance. Moon accepted The U.S. and North Korea to adopt a “sunshine” pol- triggering alarm in a region where there are political
Trump’s invitation to visit at aren’t currently involved in icy of diplomatic and eco- sensitivities about the footprint of U.S. troops and fears
an “early date.” No specif- any diplomacy. nomic outreach toward about occupation forces.
ic timing was set. But former U.S. officials held the North, has called for a In a crowded battlefield like Syria, the growing U.S.
South Korea’s past decade two days of informal talks balance of pressure and presence brings with it a greater risk of confrontation
of conservative rule has en- in Oslo, Norway, this week engagement. q with competing players. q