by Mike Wagenheim
Tom Barrack told reporters that Washington does not hold a “common understanding” with the Jewish state about how to move forward with the new Syrian government.
Israel’s military operation in Syria “complicates matters” and is “not helpful,” according to Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Turkey, special envoy to Syria and a close friend of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said that Washington lacks a “common understanding” with the Jewish state on the right way to handle Syria, with the Trump administration aiming to guide Damascus to stability.
The Trump administration lifted sanctions that it had imposed on the government of deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad and delisted Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, headed by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, over concerns from Jerusalem. Al-Sharaa is a designated U.S. terrorist, and HTS is a terror group formerly aligned with Al-Qaeda.
“In my opinion, Israel is not aggressive,” but Jerusalem’s actions in Syria are “not helpful” because “we do not have a common understanding,” Barrack told reporters.
Upon Assad’s exile, Israel immediately breached the demilitarized zone separating Israel and Syria to protect its border amid the geographical chaos. Jerusalem also carried out airstrikes to decimate the new government’s military capabilities.
In recent weeks, Israel intervened in a tribal clash between Druze and Bedouin, in which the Druze community of the southern Syrian city of Sweida suffered brutal murders and other assaults.
Fiercely protective of the Druze, who live on both sides of the Israeli-Syrian border, Israel struck Bedouins, Syrian government forces, the Syrian Defense Ministry and an area in the vicinity of the presidential palace before the U.S. government intervened.
Hosam Saraya, a U.S. citizen, was among those who were killed in the attacks on Sweida’s Druze. He and six of his relatives, whom the Oklahoma resident was visiting, were executed.
Barrack told reporters that the gunmen, who wore uniforms that resembled those of Syrian forces and who took part in killing Saraya, will be held accountable.
The Syrian government is cooperating with the FBI, as the latter investigates, according to Barrack.
“We’ll get to the bottom of it,” the envoy said. “The al-Sharaa government is cooperating fully and has indicated, as we have, that we’re going to find out who is accountable, and whoever is accountable is going to be punished.”
The FBI is attempting to identify the uniforms, primarily relying on a short video clip of the incident, he said.
Washington has broader, regional concerns and is trying to work with Turkey—an Israeli adversary—among other countries to bring about its goals for Syrian stability, according to Barrack.
“Israel is very sensitive about its borders right now,” he told reporters. “Syria does not want war with Israel.”
The envoy said that the Jewish state wants a clear line of sight through to Iran, without interference from countries along that path.
“They want a clean zone between themselves and Iran, consisting of reliable partners,” he said. “They want a view of Iran and say that no one will interfere with us from here to Iran.”
Barrack also described Turkey as “cooperating incredibly well,” and said that the Syrian government “is also cooperating incredibly well in accepting this help.”
There is a buffer zone of sorts between Turkey and the Syrian Druze, and one between Turkey and the Syrian Democratic Forces, Barrack said. For years, Washington backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, but it is now in limbo within the Trump administration’s regional strategy.
Mike Wagenheim
Source: https://www.jns.org/israeli-military-operation-in-syria-not-helpful-trump-envoy-says/
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