What can a remote outpost tell us about how the US got so deep into the Syrian war? The answer may be easier to understand if we start small. In March 2016 — a series of victories in a desolate part of the Syrian desert. A group of rebels occupy a border crossing. And then they move and occupy a rectangular compound that is in the hands of the Islamic State. Now, like many forces in Syria, small and large, these guys want to be known. They had sent promotional videos. They had made the news on TV. They had even made a YouTube page asking visitors to sign up to follow them as they went to fight ISIS. But all these videos tell us something else. American weapon. American weapon. American weapon. And all that propaganda? Behind the scenes are coalition advisers. They guide revolutionaries how to introduce themselves to the world. They support the rebels because, at the time, that was part of America's grand plan to defeat the Islamic State in Syria: Train and equip local rebels to fight. “We will advise and help.” These rebels are called the New Syrian Army. And that band they took over? That rectangle in the desert? It was turned into a small military base called Al-Tanf. This is a far cry from all other US and coalition bases in Syria. In the coming years, the base would come under attack by ISIS, threatened by Iranian proxies and the subject of Russian conspiracy theories. This base will show how easy it can be to get involved in a war — “This is a transnational long-term threat.” — but much harder to escape from one. “Senator, this should be given in a different setting.” “Wait a minute.” “Why can't you — ” “Wait. Wait a minute.” How the mission can change in unexpected ways. But the original mission, of course, was to defeat the Islamic State. The choice of Al-Tanf as a base was a good one. Right off the bat, the insurgents build two walls . And that gives them control of a major road. That allows them to disrupt the Islamic State's ability to move between Syria and Iraq and prevent them from entering Jordan, which is an important U.S. ally. But the main goal of the rebels is to use Al-Tanf as ground to take the area back from ISIS. In their first year, the rebels have some failures — — and they have some successes. American and coalition soldiers are there with them doing the training . The rebels have managed to recapture a good chunk of land, along with other rebel groups in the region. This is shown in blue. But this is where Al-Tanf is forced into a completely new, completely unexpected role, an example of its expanding mission America in Syria – Iran. You see, when the American-backed rebels seize territory from ISIS—remember, that was their original mission—they are also seizing land that President Bashar al-Assad wants back, having lost it earlier in the civil war that began in 2011. So the regime hunts them down, whether they like it or not. Iran supports the regime and has its own reasons for wanting control of this rebel-held region. Do you see this road that Al-Tanf is on? It leads to Iran. Iran wants to be the dominant player in the region. Do you think he wants a small American base blocking a valuable supply route that carries Iranian influence and material all the way to the Mediterranean? No. So, in the spring of 2017, the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militias decide to take back the area with an offensive. Their goal is to reach the border of Jordan and Iraq. Al-Tanf is on the way. And right now, the US has created a protective ring around the base called the de-confliction zone. Basically, it means you walk into this circle uninvited and risk an American attack. But pro-establishment forces are pushing ahead anyway. The Americans strike back, saying they are in self-defense. [explosion] These videos claim to show the strikes on pro-regime forces. [Arabic shouting, in reaction to blast] The Americans then drop leaflets warning the incoming forces to stay away from the de-escalation zone. But they keep coming. [explosion] And the US continues to strike. And this is where our story reaches a pivotal moment that shows how messy it can be when you're embroiled in a civil war. The US told the world it was in Syria to fight the Islamic State. “Tonight, on my order, America's armed forces launched strikes against ISIL targets in Syria.” And now, he is attacking Syrian and Iranian proxies. “It was necessitated by an offensive move – I don't know that there were Iranians on the ground – but by Iranian-directed forces.” So now we have more American material. But if Iran has become a factor in the US mission in Syria, here is an example of how the administration does not want to admit publicly that it has expanded the mission. So let's head to Washington for a moment. Don't click away. I know congressional hearings aren't always exciting by the minute, but she — “— stands.” — it gets interesting. “So let me — so what is — “A senator asks a senior State Department official what U.S. troops will do in Syria once ISIS is defeated — “— non-ISIS priorities.” — but the question seems to make me nervous. “Senator, this should be given in a different setting.” He doesn't want to say that Iran is part of the Syrian strategy now. “Um.” “Why not?” “Wait a minute.” “Why can't you — ” “Wait. Wait a minute. This will not pass muster.” So it subsides, a little. “We are deeply concerned with Iran's activities, with Iran's ability to enhance those activities through a greater ability to move material into Syria. And I would prefer to leave the discussion at this point.” The Iranian threat came just down the road from Al-Tanf. But America's mission in Syria is also growing beyond ISIS because of what's just 12 miles to the south — “Trapped in the middle of nowhere, but the numbers are still growing.” — the lives of 50,000 refugees. 50,000. They live in a camp called Rukban. Many of them have left the Syrian regime and the Islamic State. The camp is so close to Al-Tanf that it is protected by the base's deconfliction zone. “And we will be present in Al-Tanf to make sure that ISIS cannot return and also to manage this difficult humanitarian situation.” Do you hear that? Another reason to stay in Syria is to protect refugees. But these refugees serve another purpose – [Russian speech] — as props for Russian disinformation. See, Russia has bases in Syria too. It wants to ensure its own influence in the region. But the American presence in Syria, including Al-Tanf, is getting in the way. So the Russians are trying to make the Americans and the rebels in Al-Tanf look so bad that they will be forced to give up. [Russian speech] They often claim that the Americans and rebels in Al-Tanf are blocking aid shipments to Rukban refugees, creating a humanitarian crisis. But the internet is also full of grassroots conspiracy theories. Some seem to have been influenced by Russia's statements. See Al-Tanf's Wikipedia page. The original entry tarnishes the Al-Tanf rebels by calling them armed gangs and fighters who train terrorists, whom the US helps transport. The user who wrote all of this has uploaded photos elsewhere that show a connection to Russia. How? Well, one, they show a city that Russian advisers were in at the time. Second, the file names are all in Russian. And, three, one is taken from inside a Russian military vehicle, like the one seen here elsewhere in Syria. Al-Tanf is just one example of how Russia's presence in Syria has contributed to yet another reason the US mission has expanded – to prevent unchecked Russian influence. Following more recent Russian threats, the US is sending marines to Al-Tanf as a show of force. [gunfire] The base that looked like this after those airstrikes against pro-regime forces has grown even bigger. And soon after, a top general arrives, emphasizing America's support for the base. Construction of a new extension begins three weeks later. “I don't want to be in Syria forever. It's sand. And it is death.” President Trump reverses course and orders the withdrawal of troops from Syria. But there is an ongoing debate within the government about whether Al-Tanf should be made the exception, to keep troops there even after all other US troops in the country leave. Will the history of the base end with insurgents and refugees left to fend for themselves, or will the US decide to stay put to deal with its rivals and small enclaves of ISIS in a mission that has no end; Whatever happens, remember: This is all happening in a small, remote corner of Syria, a country in conflict from end to end. So 23 seconds into this video, I mentioned a border crossing, the one that the rebels are using to cross into Syria. It turns out that the Syrian civil war is not the only time the conflict has touched this pass. I found these images from the Iraq war from 2007. They are refugees flooding the Al-Tanf crossing, trying to get out of Iraq. Back then, Syria was much safer.
Trump has ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Northern Syria
