Why US outsource support for Kurdish forces?
Washington
continues to support the Kurdish fighters, despite the US rhetoric of
total solidarity with Ankara and attempts to find a compromise with
Turkey on the Kurdish and Syrian issues. Firstly the US directly
bolstered the Kurds, but now they decided to seek the assistance of the
European private military contractors to avoid the Turkish accusation of
terrorism support.
Sources from Arab councils in Syrian Hasaka revealed that Sweden PMC 'Vesper Group'
trained approximately 50 SDF Kurdish fighters on the Ain al-Assad US
military base located in Iraq At the beginning of March. This drill was focused on firearms
training, sniping, guerilla tactics, and mine-warfare.
As
for 'Vesper Group', it is a notorious contractor made up of the former
Sweden policemen, intelligence officers, and special forces operatives.
least Close Protection training courses, experience of the service in
the northern Iraq and advanced rifle and pistol skills. Sweden mercs
provide close protection, reconnaissance, and training for both
government and non-government actors. They also have been providing security to the Swedish Embassy in Iraq since 2013.
Though 'Vesper' was engaged in "smooth" activities earlier. The contractor was accused of weapon smuggling via Sweden diplomatic missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
As
for the Kurds, the Kurdish Autonomous administration may use trained
militants as a reinforcement for Deir Ez-Zor oilfields' guard and
saboteurs in northern Syria. Experts believe that the Kurdish scouts may
conduct hit-and-run attacks on the Turkish patrols in northern Syria
and especially in Afrin.
Besides
it is extremely timely for the Kurds to deploy more personnel in the
oil facilities amid recent Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
proposal for his Russians counterpart Putin on 'joint managing oil
fields in eastern Syria's Deir Ez-Zor region, in place of the
Kurdish-led forces which control them now'. Erdogan obviously intends to
choke SDF financing provided from the oil trade under the auspices of
the US.
All
told, cooperation between private military contractors and the Kurdish
forces sponsored by the US indicates that Washington will continue
indirect support for Syrian Defense Force. This strategy allows the US to save the
pressure on the Turkish personnel deployed in northern Syria and avoid
Ankara's complaints on the US-Kurdish cooperation, which is unacceptable
for the Turks. Besides, this way is much cheaper than the US official
military activities.