From the Liveblog of
Monday, July 2, 2018
US senators visit flashpoint Syrian town Manbij
Two US senators visit the northern Syrian town of Manbij, where talks between Washington and Ankara narrowly avoided a standoff between the NATO allies earlier this year.
Lindsey Graham from South Carolina and Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire tour the town with members of the Manbij Military Council.
“The aim of the visit was to see the security situation in Manbij,” said its spokesman Sherfan Darwish.
The MMC is linked to the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters that ousted the Islamic State group from Manbij in 2016 with help from a US-led coalition.
US Senator @LindseyGrahamSC and @SenatorShaheen are in Manbij to see the situation on the ground & discuss with Manbij military and civilian councils to strengthen stability and security in the region @shervanderwish pic.twitter.com/mvLm0QR46T
— Mutlu Civiroglu (@mutludc) July 2, 2018
American and French coalition troops are still stationed in Manbij, but there were fears earlier this year they could be caught up in a clash with Turkey.
Ankara had pledged to march on Manbij after seizing the nearby area of Afrin from Kurdish fighters it sees as “terrorists.”
But the US and Turkey agreed on a “roadmap” last month that avoided a confrontation, and Turkish troops began patrolling areas to the town’s north under the deal.
— AFP
The Times of Israel Community.