US State Department visit to northeast Syria supports region’s stability: AANES officials
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Monday, officials in northeast Syria considered that the visit of a high-level delegation from the US State Department is a support for the stability of the region, amid the officials’ stress on the importance of maintaining de-escalation in the region.
On November 13, a delegation from the US State Department visited northeast Syria, and held two separate meetings with the command of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), leaders of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), and officials of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) at the headquarters of the SDF in Hasakah.
The delegation was headed by Ethan Goldrich, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, accompanied by a number of diplomats and military leaders who came from the USA who met with the SDF Commander-in-Chief, Mazloum Abdi, the president of the SDC Executive Committee, Ilham Ahmad, and the co-chairs of the AANES Executive Council, Berivan Khaled and Abd Hamed al-Mehbash.
“Welcome to DAS Goldrich. We discussed the need for de-escalation by all parties and importance of respecting ceasefire lines for stability. I expressed appreciation for USA providing crucial humanitarian and other assistance in areas liberated from ISIS,” Mazloum Abdi tweeted late yesterday.
For nearly two years, and almost in daily base, the Turkish-backed Syrian armed opposition factions have been targeting the areas of Ain Issa and Tel Tamr, and Tel Rifaat in north and northeast Syria, affecting houses and inhabited villages.
In the details of the meeting, the official spokesman of the SDF, Aram Hanna, told North Press, “The US delegation stressed the continuation of the joint military operations against terrorism with our forces.”
On November 12, the US embassy in Damascus said, its forces will not withdraw from Syria and will maintain their military presence in northeastern Syria, to ensure the elimination of the threat from terrorist groups.
“The US will maintain our military presence in Syria to ensure the threat from the terrorist group is eliminated,” it added.
“We are working to eliminate all causes of the re-emergence of ISIS, including the danger of continuing chaos in the occupied areas in the north (opposition-controlled areas), which constitute safe areas for terrorists,” Hanna told North Press.
He pointed out that the US delegation stressed their country’s position on the continued support for the stability of the region and the prevention of a new military operation, due to the seriousness of its repercussions.
On November 13, well-informed diplomatic Turkish sources told The New Arab that Turkey has suspended its potential military operation against northeast Syria, as a result of the continued Russian and American refusal and the absence of any consensus in this regard.
The US delegation discussed the humanitarian and economic situation with officials in the Autonomous Administration, which runs the areas of northeastern Syria.
Hikmat Habib, the co-chair of the Legislative Council in the AANES’ Jazira region, said, they discussed mechanisms to support stability and reduce escalation in the region with the American delegation.
Habib told North Press that they had received promises of economic support in the areas of agriculture and infrastructure to ensure stability.
Today, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) decided to send about 3,000 tons of wheat seeds to Syria’s northeast.
The co-chair of the Economy and Agriculture Board of AANES, Salman Barudo, welcomed the decision of USAID to send a quantity of wheat seeds for farmers to the region.
Habib considered the promises made as signs that there is no intention for an American withdrawal from the region.