U.S. to Deploy Hundreds of Troops to Guard Oil Fields in Syria, Pentagon Officials Say
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said the American strategy remains unchanged, although President Trump has said American forces are withdrawing,
ByHelene Cooper and Eric Schmitt
BRUSSELS — The United States will deploy several hundred troops to guard eastern oil fields in Syria against the Islamic State, defense officials said Friday, another lurch in President Trump’s zigzagging military policy in the country.
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said that the United States would “maintain a reduced presence in Syria to deny ISIS access to oil revenue.” Mr. Esper also said that the additional steps could include some “mechanized forces,” which other defense officials have said would include tanks that are not already there.
The plan includes a combination of Special Operations troops already in Syria and other units arriving from elsewhere in the Middle East, according to two defense officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The officials said the total number of American troops would be around 500.
While Mr. Esper denied the deployment represents another shift in strategy, it suddenly puts the number of American forces in Syria back on an upward trajectory — only weeks after Mr. Trump announced their withdrawal.
Mr. Trump’s announcement eased the way for Turkey’s incursion against a Kurdish militia that had allied with the United States.
It would take hundreds of American troops to deploy, supply and protect armored units and tanks in Syria.
“The mission in Syria remains what the mission in Syria began,” Mr. Esper told reporters after a NATO defense ministers’ meeting. “It’s always been about defeating the ISIS coalition.” He added, “The mission remains unchanged.”
But how the United States sees out that mission has dramatically evolved since Oct. 6, when Mr. Trump had a phone conversation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and then announced the withdrawal of American troops from northeast Syria pending a Turkish invasion.
Since then, Defense Department officials have rushed to try to catch up with Mr. Trump’s policy shifts. This week the president appeared to be back on a path that would leave some troops in Syria.
Mr. Trump has continued to say that American forces are withdrawing. On Friday, he tweeted: “Oil is secured. Our soldiers have left and are leaving Syria for other places, then COMING HOME!” Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House later in the day, he said, “We just did a great thing in Syria where we’re getting our troops out. We took over oil.”
The latest round of confusion began on Wednesday, as Mr. Trump heralded an agreement between Turkey and Russia to police northeast Syria. During those remarks, the president singled out oil fields in Deir al-Zour Province.
“We’ve secured the oil, and, therefore, a small number of U.S. troops will remain in the area where they have the oil,” he said. “And we’re going to be protecting it, and we’ll be deciding what we’re going to do with it in the future.”
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, told reporters on Thursday that he was “somewhat encouraged” about a plan coming together that “may give us what we need to prevent ISIS from coming back, Iran taking the oil, ISIS from taking the oil.”
He tweeted that he was “well aware of good proposals regarding counter-ISIS strategy in Syria coming from military leaders.”
The oil fields have been protected by the American-backed Kurds along with American forces, something that Mr. Trump was reminded of during recent calls with lawmakers. On Thursday, Mr. Trump posted on Twitter, “Perhaps it is time for Kurds to start heading to the oil region.”
Shortly afterward, the Pentagon released a statement announcing that it had prepared several options for the White House to review that would keep a small contingent of American forces in eastern Syria — perhaps a few hundred — to protect oil fields. The troops would also continue to fight the Islamic State.
In the statement, the Defense Department said the United States would reinforce its presence in northeastern Syria “with additional military assets” to prevent the Islamic State from reclaiming the region’s coveted oil fields. Defense Department officials said that no decisions had been made on the number of troops or what type of weaponry would remain, but that at least one option included battle tanks.
Pentagon officials have sought to frame the issue as defending the oil fields from being reclaimed by Islamic State forces, a fear that Gen. Joseph Votel, a former leader of United States Central Command, said was largely unfounded.
“We looked at the oil fields in the context of their strategic value,” said General Votel, who added that they would be “a good negotiating leverage point” for eventual discussions between the government in Damascus and the Kurdish militia.
“There weren’t concerns that ISIS would get back in there and be pumping oil,” General Votel said. “The oil fields were important, but we didn’t go there for the oil.”
The Kurdish forces who fought alongside the American military have accused the United States of betrayal and warned that they may not be able to guard prisons holding thousands of Islamic State prisoners in order to defend themselves against Turkey. Mr. Esper did not answer a question during the news conference about why defending oil fields, but not defending Kurdish allies or holding those prisons, warranted a deployment of additional American troops.
Helene Cooper reported from Brussels, and Eric Schmitt from Washington. Clifford Krauss contributed reporting from Houston.
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