By Gordon Duff, Senior Editor with a VT Exclusive Report:
Dodging Turkish army units inside Syria and their advanced air defense systems, a US Special Forces unit killed an ISIS “oil minister” while an identical Syria operation took out another “oil minister,” both Saudi nationals.
Turkish air defenses downed a Syrian surveillance drone but no US planes or helicopters were hit. Turkey has publicly claimed the drone was an attack aircraft flying over Turkey.
19 ISIS terrorists were killed by US troops in this attack according to Syrian government sources.
Pentagon sources, speaking anonymously, tell us that this is a largely “symbolic attack” to let Saudi Arabia and Turkey know that the US will not tolerate their interference in Iraq and their continued supply of ISIS forces. The US had planned to lead a coordinated attack to dislodge ISIS from Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city. That attack has been delayed because of Turkish and Saudi backing for ISIS.
This is the first US strike against a combined Turkish/ISIS position inside Syria.
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced only moments ago that a US Special Forces unit hit targets inside Western Syria last night killing Abu Sayyaf, a senior ISIS commander and capturing his wife, an Iraqi national. From a DOD spokesman:
The president authorized this operation upon the unanimous recommendation of his national security team and as soon as we had developed sufficient intelligence and were confident the mission could be carried out successfully and consistent with the requirements for undertaking such operations.
Abu Sayyaf had worked closely with Turkey, Jordan and Israel in marketing Syrian oil. He was targeted for capture but was killed in a firefight at his comfortable residence in Deir en Zuer, a city along the Euphrates River, the next ISIS stronghold on that body of water after ar Raqqah, military headquarters for ISIS inside Syria.
Three wounded ISIS fighters were airlifted to Israel for medical treatment according to Israeli radio. They were received at the Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Tiberias, in the Occupied Territories, according to an Israeli spokesman.
Simultaneously, Syrian forces killed 40 ISIS terrorists including ISIS oil minister Abu al Taym al Saudi in what is clearly a much more successful and meaningful raid. ISIS air defenses shot down a Syrian drone during that raid. The Turkish government claimed credit for downing the drone, claiming it was an attack aircraft. Turkey has placed the downing of the Syrian drone 400 miles north of where the action actually occurred in order to attempt to hide their incursion deep into Syria.
Turkish air defense systems have been operating with ISIS and Al Nusra terrorists inside Syria since the beginning of May according to VT sources on the ground inside Syria.
Abu Taym Saudi, working out of the town of Mayadin, has managed the Omar oil fields for ISIS and their Turkish and Israeli partners since June 2014.
On April 26, 2015, Syrian Special Forces attacked ar Raqqah killing Turkish and Saudi field commanders along with their ISIS counterparts, 31 leaders in all. The Syrian Army press release on that victory:
Today at nine o’clock evening for the first time since the start of the dirty on the ground war the unity of our very own very, very correctly termed Shock and Quiet Liquidation Forces (literal translation) and then exploitation and monitor intelligence professional has scored a significant success.
The implementation of a complex process led by Colonel (Rommel) Antique, who led the attack personally along with 22 men killed or captured 31 leaders of the Al-Nusra Front.
This included two Qatari officers and six Turkish officers. Military secrecy requires that we not indicate if they were simply killed or captured.
Martyred during the attack was one officer. The operational commander and all but two of the special unit (martyred) returned safely including Colonel
Ash Carter Statement
Secretary Ash Carter stated in a press release today that President Obama personally ordered the attack and that all US forces returned safely.
“Abu Sayyaf was involved in ISIL’s military operations and helped direct the terrorist organization’s illicit oil, gas, and financial operations as well.”
Abu Sayyaf was also cited for his personal supervision of ISIS human trafficking and narcotics operations as well. His wife, Umm Sayya, was captured during the raid. Carter indicated that she has been deeply involved in ISIS financial operations and is expected to be a wellspring of intelligence.
Intelligence Raid
Vast amounts of intelligence, essentially ISIS’ private accounting, was seized in the raid. Defense sources say the real goal is to trace financial backers of ISIS through Turkey “and elsewhere,” including not only looted antiquities being sold in London but significant amounts of Syrian oil being transited in the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, a Turkish-Israeli-Azerbaijani partnership.
“Based on the blend of the oil, a very exacting fingerprint, buyers must be aware of not only the oil’s origins but that they are fully complicit in terrorism as well through these transactions.”
Turkish Involvement
Over the past two weeks, Turkey has set up a “buffer zone” inside Syria, deploying air defense systems to protect key ISIS and Al Nusra command and control facilities. The Turkish army missile units were delivered by Turkish Air Force c 130 aircraft that landed in Raggah and Mayadin during the first week of May.
Air operations against ISIS have been at a virtual standstill after the Turkish incursion and the withdrawal of Saudi Arabia from the US led coalition. Both the US and Saudi Arabia have yet to announce this move by the new Saudi king, openly hostile to President Obama.
London “Rights Group” Or ISIS “Mouthpiece?”
Syrian Human Rights Watch credited the Syrian government for the US attack, citing the use of poison gas and “barrel bombs” against women and children. The so called rights group was unaware that this was a US attack and could only have gotten information directly from ISIS commanders, proving full coordination and complicity between this group and Al Qaeda and ISIS.
This organization is affiliated with the Jamestown Foundation and PJ Media, groups accused of complicity in the Benghazi attack that killed the American ambassador to Libya and members of his security detail.
The group says that evidence of this “massacre” will be turned over to the International Criminal Court. They are expected to rescind this statement before the day is out.
VT Role
VT, last week, in meetings with Syrian military officials in Damascus, had “suggested” the possibility that US operations inside Syria, specifically in the region attacked by the US last night, might be allowed by Syria as an act of good faith. No other information on this interview can be made public.
Though the US vigorously denies it is working with Syria in any way, we have too many coincidences in these operations.
“If congress knew what was going on, the Iranian deal would be scuttled in minutes. Though Israeli is totally aware, US cooperation with Syria would motivate a backlash among ‘Israeli firsters’ in Congress, possibly leading to the forced resignation of the new Defense Secretary” (source unknown)
Syria denies any complicity with US operation inside that nation. Stories out of Damascus told of an assassination attempt against President Assad. A breaking story on VT tells of the arrest of two French agents in the plot.
Gordon Duff posted articles on VT from 2008 to 2022. He is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. A disabled veteran, he worked on veterans and POW issues for decades.
Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of the top global intelligence specialists. He manages the world’s largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues.
Duff has traveled extensively, is published around the world, and is a regular guest on TV and radio in more than “several” countries. He is also a trained chef, wine enthusiast, avid motorcyclist, and gunsmith specializing in historical weapons and restoration. Business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology.
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