Coalition jets scrambled to defend U.S. forces from Syrian bombing

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

A U.S.-led coalition sent aircraft into northeastern Syria on Thursday in a "very unusual" move to protect American special operation ground forces from attacks by Syrian government jets, a Pentagon official said on Friday.

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told reporters the coalition aircraft reached the area around the city of Hasaka as the two Syrian SU-24s were leaving, and the U.S. special operation forces were in the area where the strikes were taking place. He said the Syrian planes did not respond to efforts by ground forces to contact them.

Davis said he was not aware of any other instances where coalition aircraft had been scrambled to respond to Syrian government bombing.

"This is very unusual, we have not seen the regime take this kind of action against YPG before," Davis said, using an acronym for the Syrian Kurdish fighters.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-usa-aircraft-idUSKCN10U1ON

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AEROSPACE & DEFENSE | Fri Aug 19, 2016 2:34pm EDT
By Idrees Ali | WASHINGTON

[eissa]

1. What are our ground forces doing there?

I just got into an argument with a family member who insisted that American forces were there training the rebels, while I insisted that was simply Arab news propaganda. Which of the multitude of rebel groups are we working with, and who are they affiliated with? These family members are also refugees who blame the US for infiltrating/arming the rebels, most of whom are murderous terrorists that have caused the vast majority of residents to flee for their lives.

[karynnj]

2. These are Kurdish forces that are fighting ISIS -- it has been spoken of many many times by Sec.

Carter and others.

We are NOT on the ground helping any rebels vs Assad.

[eissa]

3. Well we certainly have lended support to various rebel groups in the past

So one can understand their confusion and anger. And I assume our support of the Kurds will be similar to our deal with them in Iraq, i.e., support for an eventual annexation of lands for them, which is what they are ultimately fighting for. That will be another clusterfuck if/when this war ever ends.

[karynnj]

5. Lent support - yes, but not troops on the ground

How do you propose fighting ISIS -- or do you suggest that we just ignore it. The design is essentially that people from the region - Iraqis, Kurds and some Syrian rebels are the troops on the ground regaining their own land from ISIS. The US and the 60 some other countries are supporting with air support, and actions to isolate ISIS financially etc. In the last year, they have increased the special forces that have helped train the troops and provide guidance.

[eissa]

7. And this goes back to my original post about having troops on the ground

I knew we supported YPG, and god only knows what other "moderate" rebels, I didn't realize we had actual troops on the ground there. That's a little concerning to me knowing that many of these groups have other agendas besides defeating ISIS and/or toppling Assad.

[7962]

10. The ONLY ones I'm pretty confident with are the Kurds.

As far as I know, they've never stabbed us in the back, even though we have left them hanging a few times in the past

[metalbot]

8. We are definitely on the ground in Syria

We don't have conventional ground forces deployed in combat, but there are absolutely US combat forces deployed within Syrian borders to support the Kurds and other militia groups.

[karynnj]

11. As I said, to fight ISIS

not Assad

[7962]

9. You have to know that regardless of which party is in charge, they keep secrets?

Of course we have people in Syria!! We also likely have some in Iran as well.
The public doesnt have a "right" to know everything all the time, or we would never accomplish anything, anytime.

I can just imagine if we had todays media back in 1950 just before the Inchon landing.

[tcbrola]

4. US SOF in Syria

Some units are acting chiefly as advisers to local forces such as the YPG, while other teams conduct raids against the Islamic State, capturing and killing key leaders.

Special Operations Forces (SOF) in Syria include mixture of troops from US and foreign SOF units assigned to the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) such as US Army Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA), British SAS and US Army Delta Force. Other supporting troops include USAF Combat Controllers, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) and Combat Weather Specialists coordinating/providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaisance (ISR) and close air support (CAS) for YPG units.