New US commander Joseph Votel makes surprise Syria trip

The new commander of the US forces in the Middle East, General Joseph Votel, made a surprise visit to Syria on Saturday. The four-star general told reporters that he had made the trip to the conflict-torn nation not only in solidarity with his troops, but also to make a personal assessment of efforts to organize local Arab and Kurd fighters in the protracted campaign to defeat ISIS.

Votel flew into northern Syria from Iraq, where he had conferred on Friday with US and Iraqi military commanders. In Syria he met with US military advisers working with Syrian  fighters and consulted with leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella group of mainly Kurdish fighters supported by the US.

"I have responsibility for this mission, and I have responsibility for the people that we put here," Votel said a few hours after arriving at a remote military outpost. "So it’s imperative for me to come and see what they’re dealing with - to share the risk they are dealing with."

Votel, who has only been at the helm of US Central Command for seven weeks, became the highest-ranking US military official to visit Syria since the campaign against ISIS began in 2014.

Votel brought reporters with him as he flew into northern Syria on Friday after conferring with military leaders in Iraq. He defended his decision to bring in the press, saying "We don’t have anything to hide. I don’t want people guessing about what we’re doing here."

The US has struggled to launch an effective strategy against ISIS as President Barack Obama has ruled out sending ground troops to Syria. The campaign is further complicated by Washington’s stance against Bashar Assad, marking a stark contrast to the situation in Iraq, where the US is allied to the government.

(AFP, AP, DW)