Comments on US Raid in Syria
I was asked by a journalist:
“Just some week ago, the Islamic State in Iraqi and Syria (ISIS) conducted an attack on a prison in al-Hasakah. The group attempted to free thousands of its fighters. It took the U.S/coalition-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) around a week or so to recapture the prison. Do you see any correlation between the prison break and the [February 3rd] raid?”
My response:
Absolutely. I suspect that the attack on the prison was the catalyst that led to the decision to act on what was obviously already-known location intelligence on ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Over the past few months, there has been an increase in ISIS activity - more widespread and bold in nature. This also comes at a time when Iranian-backed militias have also stepped up attacks on US forces in Syria and Iraq.
After the rather surprising, larger-scale attack on the al-Hasakah prison, I believe the U.S. leadership - which I have criticized as being absent and distracted by other events - decided that they had to act.
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Since I am often critical of the Biden Administration and what I believe is its ill-advised "a deal at all costs" Iran policy, I want to applaud whoever convinced the President to act. Conducting a raid this far into Syria virtually on the Turkish border was not without significant risk. Removing Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was a good thing.
As with the U.S. raid in 2019 that led to the death of former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was located in an area virtually on the Turkish border, raising questions now as then as to how these leaders were so close to the Turkish border, near Turkish military forces, yet were never apprehended.
I have said for years that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has been a supporter of Islamist groups, at times including ISIS. His major focus in Syria has never been anti-ISIS operations, but more on preventing any semblance of Kurdish unity or autonomy.
Follow Ric on Twitter: @MiddleEastGuy