A day after invading northern Syria, Turkish troops continued to launch more strikes against the US-backed Kurdish YPG forces in the area around Manbij. Though the invasion started with chasing ISIS out of the town of Jarabulus, Turkish officials have made clear the operation is mostly about the Kurds.
Turkey’s state media described the shelling of YPG targets as “warning shots.” Kurdish officials complained yesterday that the strikes were “blatant aggression.” Turkish officials don’t appear to be contesting that fact, and have reiterated they’re keeping the Kurds from expanding, deploying more tanks into the country.
Officials also issued an ultimatum against the Kurds, giving them one week to scale back their presence near the Turkish border or else. Turkey has maintained the troops will remain in Syria until the concern about the expansion of Kurdish territory has been resolved.
The YPG controls a substantial portion of northeast Syria, and over the past week also seized virtually the rest of the city of Hasakeh in fighting with the military. Turkey’s primary objection right now is Manbij, which the US helped the Kurds capture, and which is on the western side of the Euphrates River. Turkey has repeatedly insisted that the river is a “red line” for them.
Well, this should be very interesting I think. How is Obama and his 5-sided war machine on the Potomac going to explain to the Kurds, whom he has spent a lot of US taxpayer $$$$$ supporting and building up, that he is OK with Erdogan attacking them because he needs to be able to fly out of Turkish bases and that Turkey is a “key ally” and a NATO member. Oh, those twisted alliances Washington warned about.
Turkey is not sending large forces. They are more symbolic. The initial move was by a company size unit, of twenty armored vehicles, tanks and IFVs both. The rest was circa 1,500 insurgents with US Special Forces attached.
The additional tanks are on the same scale. Tiny. The Kurds are moving back because the US told them they must.
Why Biden did this is an interesting open question.
Jul 24, 2016 Turkey’s Coup Plotters are Members of NATO’s Rapid Deployable Corps
The three most important regiments involved in the Turkey Attempted Coup plot and implementation have been part (members) of NATO’s Rapid Deployable Corps (NRDC) since 2003.
https://youtu.be/_KAxjZWy-Lk
You’d like to say unbelievable but that ship has sailed.
The US has used the Kurds the way they always have, using them to take territory and as human shields. Now that they’ve served their purpose we’re engaging in the age old tradition of throwing them beneath the tank treads. I’ve always supported the Kurds but I’ve always been furious with their total inability to realize that Washington is not and has never been their allie. I hope that maybe now at least Putin can grab their ear and rebuild the old Kurdish-Russian alliance.
By this invasion, Turkey is mainly establishing it’s intent to inflict blowback upon Empire USA for the failed military coup of last month. For most likely the coup was orchestrated by NATO and the CIA, or at a minimum was known in advance by the CIA.
And with deadly Hillary being twice as kill-crazy a war-hawk as Obama, all the way and into January 2025, ending nukes not global warming has to be our first and highest priority.