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Wednesday 23 October 2019

What the GIs left behind: US military camp in Syria was abandoned so swiftly they left behind a mess of alcohol-free beer, DVDs and even satellite equipment

This video shows the inside of an American military camp in Syria which was hastily abandoned by U.S. troops after Donald Trump ordered them out. 
Russian journalist Oleg Blokhin filmed at the base near Manbij in northern Syria where bottles of alcohol-free beer were still sitting on tables, a wide-screen TV was perched inside a tent and a laundry room was lying empty. 
The camp was equipped with armchairs, fridges and satellite dishes, as well as books and a collection of DVDs and video games, all of which were left behind. 
American forces cleared out hurriedly as Turkey began its military onslaught within days of Trump's announcement earlier this month, and Russian and Syrian forces have already entered the area. 
Haunting footage shows abandoned US military base in Syria


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Abandoned: A rectangular hut at a military base in northern Syria which was U.S. troops hastily left after Donald Trump ordered them out of the country
Abandoned: A rectangular hut at a military base in northern Syria which was U.S. troops hastily left after Donald Trump ordered them out of the country 
Derelict: Rows of tents, surrounded by cables and pylons, are still in place at the camp after American forces cleared out
Derelict: Rows of tents, surrounded by cables and pylons, are still in place at the camp after American forces cleared out
The camp in the video is dotted with tents and rectangular huts, surrounded by a series of pylons and cables. 
A barbed-wire fence runs alongside the perimeter of the camp, with a variety of skips and containers standing just inside. 
Also parked outside are a number of vehicles, including a JCB digger and three trucks lined up in a row. 
However, there are also signs of home comforts amid the harsh surroundings of the military camp.  
Inside one part of the camp, unused bottles of Barbican - a non-alcoholic drink popular in the Middle East - sit on a table next to cans of juice. 
Supplies including mugs and water bottles are strewn across tables and floors and one message on a whiteboard reads: 'Clean up after yourself... lazy!'.
In another part of the camp there is what appears to be a takeaway menu, with chicken dishes, kebabs and a kind of pizza on offer for six dollars each.  
At one point the cameraman holds up a Bible labelled 'Military Challenge Edition' with the name of an infantry regiment on the front. 
Left behind: Drinks bottles, plastic bags and a microwave and fridge have been abandoned by U.S. forces in this tent after they left for the Iraqi border
Left behind: Drinks bottles, plastic bags and a microwave and fridge have been abandoned by U.S. forces in this tent after they left for the Iraqi border 
Shelter: Two chairs sit in the doorway of a small building next to a tent at the base in northern Syria where U.S. forces had been deployed
Shelter: Two chairs sit in the doorway of a small building next to a tent at the base in northern Syria where U.S. forces had been deployed 
There is also a laundry room with two neat rows of washing machines, one of which is apparently broken.  
Satellite dishes, a large TV inside a tent and a pile of DVDs indicate a connection to the outside world, but the soldiers there were warned to be careful. 
'Phones and WiFi are not secure - do not disclose operational information, pictures or locations,' one printed note reads. 
American troops were ordered out of Syria on October 6 in what Donald Trump says was a mission to bring U.S. forces home from 'endless wars' in the Middle East. 
Since then, Syrian and Russian forces have already entered the town of Manbij. 
Trump's decision has turned the international spotlight on Syria once again after Turkey used the opportunity to launch an offensive against Kurdish fighters.  
The U.S. has indicated that some of its withdrawn troops may stay in western Iraq to continue the fight against ISIS. 
But Iraq appeared to throw those plans into disarray yesterday by saying the Americans had no permission to stay there.     
Debris: A mess has been left on this table, with items of rubbish on the tabletop and several office chairs around the side
Debris: A mess has been left on this table, with items of rubbish on the tabletop and several office chairs around the side 
Accommodation: These appear to be the some military living quarters at the Syrian camp, with beds arranged in two rows in a tent
Accommodation: These appear to be the some military living quarters at the Syrian camp, with beds arranged in two rows in a tent
American forces have permission from the Kurdish regional government to transit through Iraq but have no approval to stay there, a statement said yesterday. 
U.S. forces have withdrawn from several bases in Syria, including from the key town of Manbij and another close to Kobane close to the Turkish border. 
There is a U.S. base in the autonomous region and a withdrawing convoy crossed the Tigris River at a border post on Monday.   
Angry Kurds have blocked U.S. troops in the streets as they cross from Syria into Iraq after Washington pulled the plug on their support.  
American troops were even pelted with potatoes as they passed through a Syrian town on their way to Iraq on Monday. 
A US military vehicle flying the Kurdish flag can be seen arriving in Iraqi Kurdistan after its withdrawal from northern Syria
A US military vehicle flying the Kurdish flag can be seen arriving in Iraqi Kurdistan after its withdrawal from northern Syria 
This map shows where American forces are crossing into Iraq after Donald Trump ordered them out of Syria - opening the way to Turkey's operation in northern Syria
This map shows where American forces are crossing into Iraq after Donald Trump ordered them out of Syria - opening the way to Turkey's operation in northern Syria 
Footage posted to Twitter showed a vehicle bearing the American flag struggling to make its way forward as several locals stand in front of it. 
The Pentagon is now considering keeping a small U.S. force in north-eastern Syria to protect oilfields.  
The United States currently has 5,200 troops posted in Iraq, deployed as part of a Washington-led coalition against the ISIS jihadists.  
The U.S. presence at several bases across Iraq is already controversial, with numerous political groups and pro-Iran Shiite armed groups demanding their expulsion. 
The Kurdish fighters in Syria are dominated by the YPG, a militia which Turkey regards as a terrorist group.
Since the Turkish offensive began on October 9, at least 114 civilians have been killed and some 300,000 people have been displaced.  

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