A population of some 30 million people spanning a large territory, that the Kurds haven’t had a meaningful period of autonomy in many centuries reflects historical imperial realities, but that they’ve not been able to secure such autonomy recently is seen by many Kurds as the result of systematic mistreatment not just by regional powers, but by the international community as well.
The expectation among many is that they are little more than an alliance of convenience for anyone in the region, and after a couple of years of substantial US support allowing them to grow a large, nominally autonomous territory in northeast Syria, last week’s invasion of northern Syria by Turkey is looking an awful lot like business as usual.
Turkey has been complaining about growing Kurdish influence in Syria, and many Kurds believed that a US betrayal was only a matter of time. The US endorsement of the Turkish invasion, even if it has come with admonishments not to attack the Kurds, is looking an awful lot like such a betrayal.
The hope has always been that, having been the main US ally in the region, fighting against ISIS, the US would eventually back Syrian Kurdish calls for limited autonomy. That has not been the case so far, with the US repeatedly supporting a strong central government and opposing regional autonomy in Syria.
The US interests in keeping Turkey placated has long limited their support for Kurdish offensives too deep into ISIS territory. When they finally backed the Kurdish attack on Manbij, it took months, and was immediately followed by a Turkish invasion. Within 48 hours, the US echoed Turkish demands for the Kurds to cede Manbij, which has raised the sense that the two and a half month Manbij siege was for America’s benefit, not the Kurds’.
A certainty is nothing to fear.
Perfidious Albion 2
Headline could’ve read …. Kurds Fear Yet Another US Betrayal.
The Kurds have stab wounds in their back from many US blades and many US betrayals dating back at least to Hillary’s BFF Henry Kissinger.
I know I’m an old-fashioned sort of American, but I do believe that any people has the same rights declared in the US Declaration of Independence. That no government is legitimate without the consent of the governed. That all people have a right to a government that will effect their safety and happiness, and have a right to remove governments that don’t.
I think the US has been evil by going into Syria and ignoring the sovereignty of that nation and seeking monsters to slay and trying to divide that country. But I also feel the Kurds (whether they be in Turkey, Iraq, or Syria thanks to the old Sykes-Picot deal between France and Britain) have the same inalienable rights as declared in Philadelphia in 1776.
That’s right. The Kurds need to know that the most dangerous thing is to be a friend of Uncle Sam’s.
Too late. The US already betrayed them. Biden came right out and said it.
As I’ve said before, the order to evacuate the area west of the Euphrates was not a betrayal. It’s what the Kurds signed up for as vassals of the lord and master. They were paid well as mercenaries, and that’s all they should have expected.
This was inevitable but it’s poignant to remember that the US hasn’t f**ked over the Iraqi Peshmerga and why is that? Because, unlike the Peshmerga, the YPG are anarchists and America will never let anarchism succeed.
If Rojava knows what’s good for them they will turn to the Russians and if the Russians know what’s good for them they will return the favor. If Putin thinks he can ever trust Erdogan, he’s in for a rude awakening. The Turks must be reigned in or there will be no peace.
I have previously shared your opinion of Erdogan, but now I’m not quite so sure. Our perceptions are shaped largely by western corporate media, regardless how much we try to investigate alternatives.
It’s entirely possible that Erdogan was always a reluctant participant in the proxy war against Syria, that he was given “an offer he could not refuse.” As long as his military and security forces contained NATO, CIA and Gulen agents, a coup was a real threat. The July coup was precisely what he legitimately feared, but his narrow escape made a purge of these elements politically acceptable even to his legitimate political opponents. By all accounts even in the western corporate media, all segments of Turkish civil society were united in opposition to the coup, which is why it failed.
Time will tell. If Erdogan abides by the commitments he has made to close the border to ISIS without making further incursions into Syria, cedes control back to Syria after a negotiated settlement, and joins with Syria, Iraq and Iran in opposing the Kurdish ultra-nationalism while treating ordinary Kurds fairly, it should be clear that his support for the proxy war was not of his own choosing.
wow its like a huge plot twist, with out the twist.
The Kurds need to understand, finally, that it’s not a question of the US or anybody else betraying them. The order to evacuate Manbij after they fought and their comrades died for it was not a betrayal. It was simply the lord giving the vassal instructions.
Kurds need to decide. Do they want to be subservient to an imperial power and attack their neighbors whenever the empire tells them to, as they did in Hasakeh? Or do they want genuine freedom and the independence to work with neighbors of other ethnicity to gain equal rights for all citizens of the states in which they happen to live. Do they want a weak Kurdistan that must attack other weak neighboring states whenever the empire tells them to, or do they want to be citizens of a strong state that can protect them from empire and guarantee their equal rights under the rule of law.
If I were a Kurdish leader, I think I’d be trying to mend fences with the government of Syria.
Syrian Kurds had a deal with Assad years ago. He agreed they could be autonomous, if they’d defend themselves against his enemies, and not push past autonomy to start a break up of Syria. Assad kept to that deal.
Assad’s motives were: 1) that he did not have the power to do otherwise anyway, 2) that this would have the Kurds fighting on his side, and 3) that it put pressure on Turkey which is very sensitive to Kurds getting control of the border. It was a smart policy for Assad, and he had every reason to stay with it. He did.
The Kurds let themselves be seduced by the US. Now they see what they really get, or don’t get, for that increased ambition and investment of lives and their future into that ambition.
They’d be well advised to go back to Assad, and the Russians, and have nothing more to do with the US designs. But they won’t. Their various factions are driven by ambitions that the US seduces, and the winning faction wins by following those ambitions (to disaster).
Yes. I’ve been following this for the past year on https://southfront.org/ and more recently on http://syrianperspective.com/
The SAA and SDF have cooperated quite well, with many joint operations. The garrison in Hasakeh was unmolested until the recent conflict precipitated by Asayish.
I suspect you are correct that the Kurds will not mend fences with Assad. It will always be possible for the US and Israel to bribe mis-leaders.
I suspect the solution is for Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria to join together in support of current established international borders and official political units, and close their airspace to all direct flights into any Kurd-controlled areas such as NE Iraq. That should block the flow of arms. Then, as they establish state control, they should treat all Kurdish civilians fairly, guaranteeing all individuals equal rights under the law regardless of religion or ethnicity, including the freedom to express one’s own culture and language without discriminating against other.
Kurds, like all others, must be treated fairly. That does not include ethnic cleansing or lording it over others in areas where they have some power.
That’s my idea too
This is indeed the fate of Kurds. Who has been arming and funding the decades old armed secessionism in Turkey. Foreign government and their outfits. Today, memories are terribly short, but I hope somebody remembers when Erdogan cut a deal with Kurds, to begin the process of trust building. There was a legislation passed to grant all those that were in the mountains fighting a guerilla war against Turkish army — a general amnesty. Under the amnesty law, thousands returned home. But that did not sit well with imperial masters, as Kurds were always instrumental to be an imperial two-by-four to hit Turkey with anytime it stepped out of line. So, Kurds attacked a police station (or a military outpost) killing a lots of soldiers. That ended the amnesty, as politically Erdogan could not be seen weak. This is the story of Kurds. Never working to integrate themselves with the country they live in, or work politically for their aspirations — language use, media, schools. Armed posture just undercut all those that sought political solution. And unfortunately, the history of violence resulted in grievances on all sides. The last one, under the Davutoglu government — was particularly vicious.
This was the story of Iraqi Kurds, that took advantage of US no-fly zones, and created their own unofficial autonomy. But as soon as they showed any signs of working with Baghdad, there came ISIS and took Mosul. Kurdish areas were flooded with “advisors”, trying to figure out how to pry Kurds from Baghdad; and trying to figure out which leaders are more likely to go along. It turned out that Pershmerga, once upon a time praised to heaven, was no longer favorite. Favored were groups associated with Turkish PKK. But Turkey often bombed them, without a protest from Barzani, or from Baghdad. Now, it does appear that Baghdad is having more success with ISIS — it looks like they have abandoned taking orders from US military, like took Falujah against the US advice. As of few weeks ago, Kurds and Baghdad signed oil transit agreement to Turkey for a transit fee. The flow of oil will resume. And in Iraq, again, like in Turkey, there are always groups to be found that will undermine any constructive collaboration. Situation with Syrian Kurds is indeed bad. But Kurds have gone along with the charade to be US fighters against ISIS, while most of the time was dedicated to actually swapping ISIS held towns or points, with Kurdish control. And as well documented — Kurds have done plenty of ethnic cleansing of those areas, including Manbij — to remove non-Kurdish population. This is a war crime. Also, it is under question mark how Manbij was taken. After a lots of bombing and civilian casualties, ISIS just walked out untouched, while Kurds then went on ethnically cleansing . That appears to be the pattern — to create a contiguous area for Kurds. Unlike the maps shown in press, Kurds DO NOT live in all those areas as a majority. It is deceptive to portray the area as Kurdish, when in only three areas they are majority. So, now with their hands bloody with ethnic cleansing, they have been clearly PUBLICLY said to move back across Euphrates, but — it looks like they are not moving. Looks like they are determined to stay, and fight Turkey. At the moment Turkey may have different priorities. What is sure is — Kurds cannot any longer go any further with US towards ISIS-held areas. That much, Turkey has accomplished. If this changes, Turkey and US will be in open conflict. So, it remains who will go onto ISIS region, and how Aleppo will be tackled.
But Kurds may consider that politically they cannot win if they stay with US — as there will be no chance Turkey will approve Kurdish state protected by an US base. That would be the most serious issue in Syria war so far.