Withdrawal of US support in Syria would be ‘nightmare’ in fight against ISIS, says commander of allies

Syrian Free Army leader tells The National American technological superiority is key to tackling the extremist group

Any withdrawal of US military forces and equipment from Syria by new US President Donald Trump would be a “nightmare” scenario and aid a resurgence of ISIS, the commander of a US-backed Syrian military group has said.

Syrian Free Army commander Col Salem Turki Al Antri said his forces were already having to deal with an increased area under their control, following the fall of former president Bashar Al Assad.

In an interview with The National at the Al Tanf military base, near the Syrian border with Iraq and Jordan, Col Al Antri said a withdrawal of US support for his troops, who are co-ordinating with the new government in Damascus, would be “devastating” for their ability to fight remnants of the extremist group in Syria.

“Syrian manpower is capable, and they have sufficient training and experience in the sector, but it is the technological superiority that the coalition has, let’s be clear, that’s what affected and destroyed ISIS, in addition to the efforts of the Syrians,” said Col Al Antri.

The Syrian Free Army, composed of Arab fighters mostly from central and eastern Syria, has been working with a US-led coalition that has been fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq since 2014.

Formed from mergers of previous rebel coalitions, the unit is stationed alongside a small number of US troops at the garrison deep in the desert on Syria’s border with Iraq and Jordan. Its members have received training from US forces.

A US withdrawal would affect his men’s ability to fight ISIS because they rely on US air strikes, drone surveillance and other superior military technology to pinpoint ISIS cells roaming the desert, who remain despite an overall defeat of the group in Syria in 2019, said Col Al Antri.

“It would not only be impactful, it would be devastating. Losing this advantage means we lose our ability to control and we will be surprised that ISIS will be stronger,” he said.

The pertinence of the issue has been heightened by the political and military uncertainty following the end of more than half a century of rule by the Assad family over Syria.

A new government has been formed in Damascus by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, the group that led the offensive that ousted the Assad regime last month.

“The [new] government is struggling to control things – they are trying their best, but they don't have a magic wand so that within a week everything is over,” Col Al Antri said.

“It needs years to reorganise things so that they are in an organised state capable of assuming its full responsibilities towards the people in terms of protection and in other aspects.”

In his previous term in office, US President Donald Trump tried to withdraw US troops from north-eastern Syria. AP

In the desert between the oasis city of Palmyra and the base at Al Tanf, main roads are dotted with checkpoints manned by clusters of fighters from the Syrian Free Army, but wide expanses of the desert remain vulnerable. Abandoned military bases along with rusting tanks and other military equipment left by fleeing former regime forces lie scattered on the rough sand and rolling hills. Buildings destroyed in air strikes against ISIS line the roads.

In his previous term in office, US President Donald Trump tried to withdraw US troops positioned in separate, Kurdish-majority areas of north-eastern Syria, but some troops remained after he faced pushback from US politicians and officials. Washington has clashed with Turkey over US support in that area for Kurdish militias, which Ankara considers terrorist organisations.

At that time, the Syrians at Al Tanf were not affected, after Mr Trump said Israel and Jordan asked the US to leave a small force in south-eastern Syria.

In December, the US acknowledged it had 2,000 troops in the country − more than double the 900 it had previously disclosed, although the Pentagon said the additional numbers were temporary.

The previous drawdown in Syria stirs fears in Col Al Antri. The territory under the Syrian Free Army’s control has expanded threefold, from a radius of around 55 square kilometres to more than 150 square kilometres in the past five weeks − as Syrian army troops and their Russian and Iranian allies withdrew.

If there is a withdrawal, “we, as Syrians, will lose air superiority, air control, surveillance, and the ability to direct accurate and destructive strikes on any ISIS gathering,” he said.

“If we lose these features, we will not say that we are unable to fight ISIS, no, we have been trained over years and are able and equipped to build alliances all the way from Syria to fight ISIS.

“But there will be a slowdown or delay in the operation or a weakening of the operation if the coalition countries decide to be out of the scene, and this will not pose a threat to Syria, it will pose a threat to the whole world.”

Remnants of ISIS still operating in the Syrian desert could take advantage of any remaining weapons and military equipment in the vast expanses, and Col Al Antri’s forces do not have the full means to pursue them, he said.

“There is a lack of resources, there is [ISIS] movement everywhere in terms of operations. They are watching, they are collecting, we receive intelligence with some accuracy about their attempts to assemble,” said the Syrian Free Army commander.

His men are monitoring ISIS movements and “the type of weapons they are collecting”, which are “put on the map for future military calculations”.

Col Al Antri graduated from military college in Syria under the former regime, before defecting to join rebels.

As the Assad regime fell last month, Mr Trump said Syria was “a mess, but is not our friend”.

On his Truth Social network, he posted: “THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!”

Syria’s new de facto leader, Ahmad Al Shara, congratulated Mr Trump on his inauguration on Monday, suggesting the new authorities want to reach out to Washington as they aim to build diplomatic ties around the globe and persuade world powers to lift sanctions on Syria.

“We have the faith that, with this administration, the United States and Syria will take the opportunity to form a partnership that reflects the aspirations of both nations,” Mr Al Shara said.

Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led military operation against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, did not respond in time for publication to a request for comment on if it is planning to boost support for the Syrian Free Army.