US prepared Syrian armed group to oust al-Assad: The Telegraph
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The US instructed and bolstered armed groups in southern Syria, weeks prior to the offensive that toppled al-Assad's regime.
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A Syrian militant fires his weapon to disperse looters from a residential complex of former military officers at the village of Husseiniyeh, in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, on December 15, 2024. (AP)
The United States backed and prepared an armed group to join the offensive that ousted President Bashar al-Assad and forced a regime change in Syria, The Telegraph reported.
Revolutionary Commando Army (RCA) fighters, trained by Britain and the US, were told "this is your moment" during a briefing by US Special Forces stationed in the country before al-Assad was overthrown on December 8.
The RCA is an armed group established by defected Syrian Arab Army (SAA) troops and is headquartered in the al-Tanf area, near the Syria-Jordan-Iraq border area, in southern Syria. US forces are also stationed in the al-Tanf area, where they claim to be fighting ISIS and terrorism in the region. The group has now filled a major void vacated by the former regime forces, taking over one-fifth of the country's territory and pockets north of the capital.
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Expanding, preparing to fill the void
The Telegraph reported that the remarks of RCA fighters indicate that Washington had prior knowledge of the offensive, which was mainly led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The RCA was told to increase its forces and prepare for an attack that could "end" the Syrian regime.
"They did not tell us how it would happen," Captain Bashar al-Mashadani, an RCA commander, told The Telegraph from a Syrian air base in the city of Palmyra.
"We were just told: 'Everything is about to change. This is your moment. Either Assad will fall, or you will fall.' But they did not say when or where, they just told us to be ready," the commander added.
According to the British newspaper, the RCA remains on the US's payroll, as Washington claims to require their assistance to prevent the resurgence of ISIS. Mashadani said that in the weeks preceding the offensive, the RCA's ranks were expanded by smaller "freelance" units, all of which were briefed at the US al-Tanf air base.
Palmyra (Tadmour), known for its ancient ruins, was among the main objectives of the US-backed operation, according to The Telegraph. Fighters who captured the Russian-controlled air base in Palmyra were reportedly told to prepare to take such action in early November.
The commander also said that Americans coordinated communication between RCA and HTS during the offensive. The HTS and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Joulani are terror-listed by the US.
It is worth noting that the offensive initially targeted northern Syrian cities on November 27, 2024.
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