New US base in Baghouz: Indications of US military presence in Syria

Shaimaa Yahya

In 2014, the United States began building its military bases in the Middle East in order to support its interests and ensure stability in the region. In Syria it stood by and provided support to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) after the formation of the international coalition consisting of 68 countries to fight ISIS after it seized the city of Mosul.

The first steps of American support in Syria began with the start of the battle to confront the attack by ISIS on the city of Kobani, which was under the control of the YPG. It ended in repelling the attack after more than three month of battles, in which the organization lost many of its elements, so the YPG continued to advance and take control of other cities, starting from Kobani and including Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey in June 2015.

A number of Special Forces members arrived in areas in the east and north of the country to form an alliance with local militias and factions opposed to the regime against ISIS. The number of US forces gradually increased in Syria as of 2016, officially reaching 2,000 soldiers stationed in military bases in the eastern and northern regions of the country.

Military bases in Syria

Russian press reports revealed that the US army has begun establishing a new military base in the town of Baghouz in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, which will become the fourth base in the city and the ninth in northern Syria. The new area is mostly under the control of the SDF, as it is a predominantly Kurdish area and is supported by Washington. It will be added to other areas of US military influence that Syria has known during past years.

The United States is pursuing an approach to its endeavor to support and intensify its presence in Syria in the northeast region. Hasaka governorate is the most prominent US military deployment center in Syria, and most of the military bases are located in the areas of oil and gas fields, along with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

As for the military bases, the Rmeilan air base in Hasaka is the most important American base in Syria after that the al-Malikiyah base in the Rif region in the northeast, in addition to the Tal Baydar base, which is one of the most important American bases due to its proximity to the strategic M4 road.

Ayn al-Arab base in Kobani is located near the Turkish border in the northern countryside of Aleppo, while the Ruwaished base is a land supply base in the Badia Triangle region, linking the governorates of Deir Ezzor, Hasaka and Raqqa. The Al-Tanf base in the southeast of the country is shared with the international coalition forces and located on the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi border. The US forces are also present at other bases that are important in Syria.

American endeavors

The US bases in Syria aim to protect its military presence in the region and to balance the pervasive Russian influence, in addition to confronting extremist organizations, especially ISIS.

Mustafa Salah, a researcher in international relations, told the Reference that the US presence in Syria has many tasks and objectives, whether at the level of internal American interests or at the level of the international coalition and its allied forces from inside Syria, such as the Kurdish forces or the moderate armed opposition factions, by providing means of support.

He added that the goals of the United States in Syria include conducting military operations to confront terrorist groups and organizations, confronting Iranian interference there and blocking its way before Tehran can strengthen its influence and link Syria to both Iraq and Lebanon, in addition to imposing some kind of balance with other regional and international powers directly involved in the Syrian crisis.

Salah added that despite this, the US administration announced at the end of March 2018 that Washington intended to withdraw from Syria. However, this withdrawal, or rather its announcement, is nothing but a reassessment of this role and restructuring it again in line with regional and international changes taking place in the Arab region.

Here it can be noted that the US presence in Syria has not witnessed many changes, as Washington still maintains its military bases there and is now planning to establish a new base in Baghouz. Accordingly, the US presence in Syria has not stopped, although it has witnessed some changes in the mechanisms of American strategy.