[The US is navigating a difficult position in response to a surprise offensive on Aleppo by Syrian rebel groups, as it maintains a force posture of nearly 1,000 troops in Syria to fight ISIS.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, distanced the US from the rebel groups, stating that it is not involved in the operations in and around Aleppo, and is urging de-escalation. Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan described the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which launched the offensive, as a “terrorist organization” designated by the US.
The US has designated HTS as a terror organization since 2018, citing its evolution from Jabhat al-Nusra, an al Qaeda affiliate. Despite this, the State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that the US will not lift its sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, citing its “no change in behavior”.
About 900 US service members are deployed in Syria as part of the anti-ISIS mission, and their operations are separate from those in Aleppo. However, the instability in the area has led to communication with Moscow to prevent “miscalculation”. Meanwhile, US and coalition forces in the country have faced attacks in recent days, including a rocket attack and a self-defense strike against a potential threat to the US base.
Ryder emphasized that there have been no US force posture changes in Syria, despite the renewed unrest in the country.
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