[ Editor’s Note: VT sources have confirmed that the meeting US Al-Umar Base did happen, and it was yesterday. But the story below left out some key information.
One, the Saudis brought lots of money, lots and lots of money. And second, the big Arab tribes were in attendance.
The purpose of the meeting was to buy off the tribes to form a united military front with the Kurds. If the tribes took the money, their answer was yes, and means they have cast their fate with the money bags men and not Damascus.
Assad has his hands full with a completely stalled peace process and the same or the Constitutional Committee. The US coalition seems to be betting that the Syrian people will get tired of nothing getting done and eventually blame Assad for it.
At that moment a well funded new prospective leader will appear and Syria could be dragged down into a new civil war. The Russians and Iranians will be in a delicate situation. What do they do, stay out of it or support Assad? If they do I can hear the claims of “interference” already from the aggressors.
I fear that a new form of Balkanization is being rolled out by Saudi accountants looking back on how much was blown on the Syrian war. They see that it might have been much cheaper just to buy everybody off in the beginning, and they may be right.
We are working on getting more details, the Holy Grail of course being what kind of political deal was cut, and who is guaranteeing it, and how Assad will respond. The Saudis of course are getting two for their money as this move takes on Erdogan, also …Jim W. Dean ]
Al-Masdar News, AMD
– First published .. June 15, 2019 –
BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:00 P.M.) – A Saudi diplomatic delegation, led by Saudi Minister of Persian Gulf Affairs Thamer Al-Sabhan, met with the U.S. Armed Forces and members of the Syrian Democratic Council in eastern Deir Ezzor this week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) first reported, later confirmed by pro-SDF media.
According to the report, the Saudi delegation met with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Levant Affairs Joel Rayburn and former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain William Roebuck in the eastern countryside of the Deir Ezzor Governate.
Another meeting was reportedly held between the Deir Ezzor tribes and the Saudi-U.S. officials at the Al-Umar Base.
The primary purpose of this meeting was to ease tensions between the tribes and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Furthermore, the website Xeber 24 reported that Al-Sabhan delivered a message on behalf of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. The message allegedly conveyed MBS’ full support to the SDF in eastern Syria.
Jim W. Dean is VT Editor Emeritus. He was an active editor on VT from 2010-2022. He was involved in operations, development, and writing, plus an active schedule of TV and radio interviews. He now writes and posts periodically for VT.
ATTENTION READERS
We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully InformedIn fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
money ?
$$$ I guess !
East of the Euphrates seems a long way from Damascus these days.
it always was
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide
WELL WADI YA KNOW – WADS OF WASTED CASH TO THE WADIS
Another ragamuffin enterprise by The Saw-Bone Syndicate hauling bags of oil drenched boodle to thugs of shifting allegiances whose lines in the sand will disappear in the first wind storm to blow through Deir Ezzor. No similar tribal alliance ever came to any good in the Middle East that I can recall, give or take a few moons duration under Lawrence of Arabia. Just take the so-called alliance of the US with the Tribe. Some alliance that … misalliance rather! Held to an equally dubious arrangement where Washington has sold the country out for filthy lucre on the barrel-head into the days and nights of the damned. Tribal – you betcha, you betcha, you bitch!
It sounds like they just annexed NE Syria.
Comments are closed.