US-led Coalition Spokesman Confirms Training Arab Fighters for Raqqa Battle
US-led coalition spokesman Colonel Steve Warren on Wednesday confirmed that a group of 200 Arab fighters is being trained by the US for future operations in Raqqa, the de facto capital of the radical group of Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria.
Recently, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that the battle for Raqqa would begin soon.
Coalition spokesman Warren refused to confirm if the YPG [Kurdish People's Protection Units and leading member of SDF] has political motivations to connect the cantons from Kobane until Afrin in northern Syria, but said their focus is to defeat ISIS in Raqqa and Mosul.
"I don't know what their political motivations are. Our focus is to provide advice and assistance to the Syrian Democratic Forces and to help them get better as they continue to pressure Raqqa," he said.
"That's, you know, recall the secretary of defense several months ago, you know, told us look at the map and see Raqqa and Mosul as the two centers of gravity, the two keys to unlocking all of this," he added.
The US colonel said that they would keep their focus on both sides.
Moreover, he said that the SDF has just now graduated an additional class of 200 Arab fighters who are going to join the Syrian-Arab Coalition (SAC).
http://aina.org/news/20160519173734.htm
Some may say 200 is not many but the SDF, our guys, the Syrian Democratic Forces have not done too bad over there.
Taking Raqqa, the ISIS capital would be quite a victory and likely costly but good luck to them.
