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Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman (US Air Force), Deputy Commander of the anti-ISIS Coalition (...) expressed the Coalition’s satisfaction with the ongoing discussions between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/9b66f1ae-02d3-40f1-98c3-fff56928e17d @OIRSpox article by @LaurieMylroie (1)
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/9b66f1ae-02d3-40f1-98c3-fff56928e17d @OIRSpox article by @LaurieMylroie (1)
On July 25, CJTF-OIR will turn over another facility, the Besmaya base, to the ISF. “These transfers, to include Besmaya, reflect a shift to providing high-end advice and support to the operational command level,” Ekman stated. (2)
Ekman also said that two weeks before, he had accompanied Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the CENTCOM Commander, to northeast Syria, “and I want to highlight our close relationship with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),” he said. (3)
Full transcript here: Deputy Commander, CJTF-OIR, Provides Update From Baghdad on ISIS Threat and Coalition Activities https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/2284576/deputy-commander-cjtf-oir-provides-update-from-baghdad-on-isis-threat-and-coali/source/GovDelivery/ (4)
"Yeah, so our interactions with Turkey from this CJOA (Combined Joint Operations Area) are fairly limited" (5)
MAJ. GEN. EKMAN didn't want to specify number of US troops in Syria due to the limited footprint there.
"Q: So you said 5,200 in Iraq, and I didn't hear the number for Syria, General." (6)
"Q: So you said 5,200 in Iraq, and I didn't hear the number for Syria, General." (6)
MAJ. GEN. EKMAN says Russia in northeast to support regime: "Well, in terms of the overall purpose of Russian presence in Syria, it's obviously about the regime which we oppose."
MAJ. GEN. EKMAN: "And so, Jeff, what you might call harassment, which is, you know, less than absolute professional conduct between the Russians & the U.S., occurs on rare occasions. By-and-large, what we find is that the Russians abide by the protocols that we've put in place."
About possible Turkish attacks/ops against YPG:
MAJ. GEN. EKMAN: "Obviously, the nation of Turkey has its own interests and its own security interests within the northern part of Syria, and our goal within that, frankly, is just to stay de-conflicted from them."
MAJ. GEN. EKMAN: "Obviously, the nation of Turkey has its own interests and its own security interests within the northern part of Syria, and our goal within that, frankly, is just to stay de-conflicted from them."
