Tabqa, Syria // An alliance of US-backed Syrian fighters said on Friday it could launch an assault on ISIL’s Syrian bastion of Raqqa as soon as next month with new weapons and armoured vehicles promised by Washington.
Commanders of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the impending offensive in Tabqa, which the alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters captured from ISIL on Wednesday along with the nearby dam.
“The attack on Raqqa will take place in the beginning of the summer,” SDF commander Rojda Felat said.
She later specified that it would probably start in June based on “military and tactical considerations”.
The SDF fight for Raqqa – dubbed Operation Wrath of the Euphrates – has already seen the alliance capture large swathes of the surrounding province with help from the US-led coalition bombing ISIL in Iraq and Syria.
The SDF has been working to tighten the noose around Raqqa before a final assault. At their closest point, the US-backed forces are just eight kilometres from the city. They are backed by coalition air strikes, American special forces advisers and even a US Marines artillery battery.
SDF deputy head Qahraman Hassan said his forces would receive “special weapons and armoured vehicles” to enter the city, after US president Donald Trump changed US policy to allow arms deliveries to the Syrian Kurdish component of the alliance – the People Protection Units, or YPG.
Cmdr Hassan said no arms had been delivered yet, but he believed “this support will arrive soon”.
The YPG is seen by the US as an indispensable ally in the fight against ISIL but considered a “terrorist group” by Turkey.
A US defence official said earlier this week that the equipment would include small arms, ammunition, machine guns, armoured vehicles and bulldozers.
The US decision to equip the SDF with weapons was a snub to Turkey, which does not want the Kurdish-led force to take Raqqa and has offered its own troops instead. But the SDF made clear it is capable enough with the forces and support it already has.
“We do not want any other forces to participate with us,” said an SDF commander who gave his name as Abdelqader.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to convince Mr Trump to reverse his administration’s decision to arm the YPG when the two leaders meet at the White House next week.
* Agence France-Presse and Associated Press
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
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This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
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Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
