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Double Standards: Americans Seek Raqqa Liberation to Split Syria?

© REUTERS / Rodi SaidA US fighter, who is fighting alongside with Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), carries his national flag as he stands with SDF fighters in northern province of Raqqa, Syria May 27, 2016
A US fighter, who is fighting alongside with Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), carries his national flag as he stands with SDF fighters in northern province of Raqqa, Syria May 27, 2016 - Sputnik International
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The US may use the forthcoming operation to liberate the Syrian city of Raqqa from Daesh as a tool to implement its ultimate plan for splitting Syria, Halaf al-Miftah, one of the leaders of Syria's ruling Baath Party, told Sputnik Arabic.

Syrian Democratic Forces(SDF) fighters stand with their weapons north of Raqqa city, Syria March 8, 2017 - Sputnik International
Crunch Time: Will Liberation of Raqqa Turn Into 'War of All Against All'?
In an interview with Sputnik Arabic, Halaf al-Miftah, one of the leaders of Syria's ruling Baath Party, said that he does not rule out that Washington may use the upcoming operation to liberate the Syrian city of Raqqa from Daesh terrorists as a tool to split Syria.

Last Friday, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that a military operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa, which the internationally-condemned terrorist group Daesh (ISIS) has proclaimed its ‘capital’, is due to kick off in the coming days.

For his part, Sipan Hemo, head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said in an exclusive interview with Reuters that the Raqqa operation would start in early April, and that the YPG forces are due to take part despite Turkey's opposition.

© REUTERS / Rodi SaidUS soldiers stand near military vehicles, north of Raqqa city, Syria. File photo
US soldiers stand near military vehicles, north of Raqqa city, Syria. File photo  - Sputnik International
US soldiers stand near military vehicles, north of Raqqa city, Syria. File photo

Commenting on the matter, Halaf al-Miftah told Sputnik Arabic that "the US-led international coalition does not wage war against terrorists in Syria" and that "its goal is to change the borders in the Middle East, destroy a single state in Syria and create federal entities."

"The Americans pretend that they are fighting the terrorists, which is widely broadcast by world media; although they talk a lot about it, in reality the situation in the eastern Euphrates area is completely different," he said. 

According to him, a certain group that sticks to American political interests is creating an organization which controls the Raqqa airport, a 800 kW hydroelectric power plant and oil fields with daily output standing at 20,000 tons.

"The goals of Syria and Russia drastically differ from the ones fulfilled by the United States, something that makes their joint cooperation in the fight against terrorism impossible," Al-Miftah pointed out.

He was echoed by Ali al-Ahmed of the Academy of Geostrategic Problems, a think tank, who told Sputnik Arabic that all the US efforts to allegedly combat terrorism are, in fact, aimed at splitting Syria.

"The international coalition can really liberate Raqqa, but they will become occupiers if they do not coordinate their actions with the Syrian Army. But they do not need coordination, because Americans want to conduct independent policy across the world," Al-Ahmed said.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the US recently sent several units of the Marine Corps to the area in addition to 500 US special force troops already operating there.

A Turkish soldier on an armoured personnel carrier waves as they drive from the border back to their base in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016 - Sputnik International
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Notably, the new units are equipped with heavy weapons, including the 155mm M777 Howitzer, which is expected to provide fire support during the Raqqa assault.

The TV channel Sky News Arabia, for its part, noted last week's US operation to drive Daesh terrorists out of several villages near the Syrian city of Tabqa.

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