U.S.-backed fighters liberated a strategic Syrian city from the Islamic State after weeks of intense fighting and coalition bombing. Joyous residents of Manbij poured into the streets. Men shaved their beards, and women could walk outside without face coverings for the first time in years.
Manbij was the main processing center for foreign fighters coming to join the Islamic State and also a place where terrorists were sent to carry out operations outside the region.
U.S. intelligence officials are analyzing thousands of items captured as militants were fleeing the city in recent weeks.
The battle was a test for the newly formed Syrian Democratic Forces, a collection of Kurdish and Arab forces organized to battle the Islamic State. The force is being advised by U.S. Special Operations Forces and supported by coalition airstrikes.
Opposition forces in Syria have captured about 20% of the territory controlled by the Islamic State at its peak last year. Progress has been faster in neighboring Iraq, where Iraqi forces have retaken at least 45% of the territory held by the Islamic State.
Earlier this year, the White House authorized the Pentagon to send several hundred additional U.S. personnel to help organize and advise the opposition forces in Syria.
So one fraction of terrorists is being defeated, are we supporting their New Replacement?
Who will rebuild Syria? And who will pay for it? Just a thought.
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