The US-led airstrikes that killed 60+ Syrian soldiers not only ended the brief ceasefire, it helped ISIS gain control of territory in Syria, and appears to be an escalation of US-led efforts to provoke Syria and Russia.
“The US Central Command claimed they thought the base belonged to ISIS. It does now. With the forces decimated by the US attack, ISIS quickly overran the base,” wrote Jason Ditz on Antiwar.com.
And Syria and Russia – who were adhering to the ceasefire – are furious.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said, “every time the Syrian state makes tangible progress either on the ground or towards national reconciliation, anti-Syrian states increase their support of terrorist organisations … the latest example of this is the flagrant American aggression on one of the Syrian army’s positions in Deir Ezzor to the benefit of Daesh [ISIS]”.
Russian officials are also essentially accusing the west of backing Islamic militants. Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said, “It is significant and frankly suspicious that the United States chose to conduct this air strike at this time.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin questioned the US commitment to the [now failed] cease-fire, suggesting that Washington wasn’t prepared to break with “terrorist elements” battling Assad’s forces.
“In my opinion, [the US wants] to keep the combat potential in fighting the legitimate government of Bashar Assad. But this is a very dangerous route.”
Syrian and Russian leaders know the US airstrikes were intentionally meant to kill Syrian soldiers, most likely to provoke a response and/or to assist ISIS. Regime change is all the US cares about, and after years of failing to oust Assad, provoking Syria and Russia militarily is the phase the US has obviously entered in Syria.
Additionally, the Pentagon confirmed US special forces are on the ground in Syria fighting alongside Turkey. US officials claim the reason for the deployment is to fight ISIS, but that assertion is laughed-off by most, as Turkey’s war is with the Kurds – the same Kurds who are fighting ISIS.