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Border Force May Replace Daesh as Spearhead for US Push Into Mid East – Analyst

© Sputnik / Hikmet DurgunSDF training in Raqqa
SDF training in Raqqa - Sputnik International
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The US needs the Kurdish militia to maintain America's presence in the region and keep an eye on Russia and Iran's growing influence in Syria and Iraq, Canada-based political analyst Oussama El-Mohtar has told Sputnik, suggesting the new "border force," if created, would repeat the fate of Daesh.

"This new army, mostly Kurds and some Syrian and Iraqi tribesmen, will replace Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) as the spearhead for the American push into the region," Canada-based political analyst Oussama El-Mohtar told Sputnik commenting on the US' reported plan to create a "border force" in northern Syria, controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The political analyst warned that "there is a strong possibility that the Kurds will meet a similar fate to Daesh in terms of destruction and lives lost."

According to El-Mohtar, Washington's objectives by creating the 30,000-strong border force "are primarily to check the increasing strength of  Russian and Iranian influence in Syria and Iraq, and to gain a permanent foothold in the resource rich Fertile Crescent."

In the Middle East the Fertile Crescent stretches through Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Israel.

Israeli Agenda is the Focus of US' Mid East Policy

Turkish tanks head to the Syrian border, in Karkamis, Turkey, Wednesday Aug. 31, 2016 - Sputnik International
Anti-Kurdish Military Operation: Turkey Looking for New Sphere of Influence
The scholar pointed out that there is another objective which is rarely mentioned — "advancing the Israeli agenda."

"Israel has been successful in keeping the surrounding countries in a state of perpetual war, while devouring what is left of historical Palestine and thriving as an island of tranquility and business innovation."

The question then arises whether the new army, if one is really established, would cement the Kurdish claim for independence and result in the formation of a Kurdish state.

READ MORE: Old Colonial Model: US Supports Mid East States Based on Inequality — Analyst

The Kurdish State: Why 'the Ultimate Dream' Unlikely to Come True

El-Mohtar noted that "the Kurdish resolve for independence is clear and old," however, "building and sustaining a state is a different matter."

"As you know, a Kurdish State must be carved out from four countries: Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. This is the ultimate dream. Those countries will not take this lying down; the Americans cannot protect the Kurds forever, and the Kurds will ultimately pay a heavy price," the scholar underscored.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters carry their weapons in Raqqa's western neighbourhood of Jazra, Syria June 11, 2017. - Sputnik International
US Has No 'Boots on the Ground' in Syria Except Kurds
On January 14, the spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve Colonel Ryan Dillon, announced that the US is considering the plan to establish a new military structure in Syria, the so-called Border Security Force.

The report immediately caused strong opposition from Damascus, Moscow and, especially Ankara which accused Washington of creating "an army of terror" on Turkey's border with Syria.

In response, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reassured the Turkish leadership that the US wasn't going to create a "border force" out of Kurdish fighters.

Washington's inconsistent statements have prompted further concerns among the Turks.

"Over the last three days US officials have made statements that refute one another. One day it was said that a new border force had been set up, another day they said they are setting up a unit with local forces in order to maintain security in the region after eliminating Daesh in the region. These are all confusing statements," Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a security conference in Ankara on January 18, as quoted by the Hurriyet Daily News.

The views and opinions expressed by Oussama El-Mohtar, Ekaterina Blinova are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.

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