US to arm Kurdish fighters against ISIS

The US will arm Syria’s Kurdish fighters “as necessary” to recapture the key ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, despite intense opposition from Turkey.

The decision is meant to accelerate the Raqqa operation but undermines the Turkish government’s view that the Syrian Kurdish group known as the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) is an extension of a terrorist organization that operates in Turkey. Washington is eager to retake Raqqa, arguing that it is a haven for Isis operatives to plan attacks on the west.

Pentagon’s chief spokeswoman, Dana White, said that US President Donald Trump authorized the arms Monday. His approval gives the Pentagon the go-ahead to “equip Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces as necessary to ensure a clear victory over ISIS” in Raqqa.

While White did not mention the kinds of arms to be provided to the Kurds, other officials had indicated in recent days that 120mm mortars, machines guns, ammunition and light armored vehicles were possibilities. They said the US would not provide artillery or surface-to-air missiles, the Guardian reported.