Top US commander for Mideast visits SDF in Syria

The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East made a secret trip to northern Syria on Feb. 24 to meet a U.S.-backed alliance fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), officials said.

General Joseph Votel, who heads U.S. Central Command (Centcom), met with leaders from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Founded in October 2015, the SDF is an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters that has seized swathes of territory from ISIL across northern Syria.

Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing People's Protection Units (YPG), which make up a major part of the SDF, as terrorists groups and has been demanding the U.S. to cut all its support to the group.

The United States has special operations forces advising the SDF on the ground in Syria, but no combat units.
The trip, unannounced for security reasons, was first such visit under the new U.S. administration, but the third in a series of meetings with the SDF.

SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP that Votel "discussed the increase of coordination and support [to the SDF] in the era of Donald Trump."

"There were promises of heavy weapons in future stages," Sello said.

However, Votel's spokesman Colonel John Thomas stressed that the general did not make any specific promises about any type of weaponry.

"During the conversation, General Votel understood their need for logistical support and resources that may be greater than what they have been provided up until now," Thomas said.

"While assuring them that this was a need he understands, he did not make specific promises."

In an online statement, Sello said Votel had met with several SDF commanders.

"The results...