In late August, Turkey invaded the Syrian border city of Jarabulus, an ISIS-held city along the Euphrates River. Since then, they’ve expanded their territory significantly inside the northern Aleppo Province, grabbing large amounts of ISIS territory with the backing of certain rebel groups.
Turkey has made much of “liberating” large amounts of territory from ISIS, and “neutralizing” large numbers of ISIS fighters. There’s a substantial toll on top of this, however, which never gets mentioned in Turkey’s military statements, the civilian casualties.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Turkey’s invasion has left at least 352 civilians dead across northern Syria, and at least 2,500 others wounded. This shorts no sign of slowing, and every indication from Turkish officials is that their plans are nowhere near completed.
Turkey has been attacking the city of al-Bab for over a month now, the last ISIS city of any size in Aleppo Province. They’ve indicated that after al-Bab, they intend to attack Manbij, an even bigger city held by the Kurds, and then invade the Raqqa Province further east.
Heavens, what is with “liberated” and “grabbed” large territory from ISIS, and other heavy hints of Turkey’s nefarious behavior. Yes, let me throw in one of the favorite MSM words, behavior. Turkey is misbehaving. I need to find the way to throw in “albeit”. ISIS is respecting the norms of civilized behavior, albeit with a few chopped heads.
This is not this complicated, except of course, when Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gets quoted. It is amazing that we trust this fellow more then the sources from Syria. Where does he gets his information? From ISIS, of course, from Al-Nusra, that is, Fateh Al-Sham, or from Ahrar Al-Sham, and perhaps from Al-Zinki. Perhaps even Jaish Al-Islam. All good reliable sources.
So, how about getting the information about Turkey straight. Turkey came in on a mission to clear the border area from ISIS and to STOP any ambition by Syrian Kurds to ethnically cleanse areas along the border — in order to connects its two separate enclaves. Given that, I hope, the new US president has little taste for nation building, it will be a foolish idea to follow up on Hillary Clinton’s boneheaded idea to reward Kurds for being US boots on the ground. Hillary Clinton could never think two steps down the road. She could think only of what seems to be doable at the moment, and then — she will play it by ear. So, she hatched up the brilliant idea of given Syrian Kurds their state bordering Turkey — or to be precise, Turkish Kurdistan. Given the secession-minded Kurds in Turkey, this would have been a bad precedent. But Hillary Clinton never could think in those terms. She could already see in her mind’s eye, a “young democracy” that she gave a birth to, just as her husband gave birth to Kosovo. What will happen to the region, as well as what will happen in the are so used to smuggling and living off banditry, across the Turkish, Iraqi and Iranian borders. So, Turkey first liberated a few townships, and then moved on the a difficult target — Al-Bab. ISIS has fortified Al-Bab, as the area is a smuggling gateway to part of Aleppo province and Idlib. It is key to Al-Nusra survival inside the Idlib pocket,. Without ISIS supplies, and Kurdish trafficking, they would have run out of ammunition and supplies long time ago. But Al-Bab is also very important to Kurds. If they can get it from ISIS and maintain the corridor to Manbij and to Raqqa, they will be set, and in position to connect their two parts of Kurdish enclaves.
Why Kurds have not attended Astana peace talks? Because they are still pinning their hopes on America giving them state eventually.
So, Turkey is a bad guy for spoiling so much fun for Kurds, ISIS, and Al-Nusra. But let us not forget FSA (Free Syrian Army). Majority of them joined Turkish forces — as most of them are from that area, and both ISIS and Kurds were ethnically cleansing the villages and towns they took charge of. And they are hoping that Turkey will give it back to them. For example, a majority Arab and Turkmen town of Manbij, has been cleansed of non-Kurds. This is a reason Turkey is keeping an eye on Manbij. Remember VP Biden declaring pompously that Kurds should abandon Manbij? Seriously — they thought Turkey was joking.
But now, Al-Nusra has shocked its allies — and attacked Ahrar Al-Sham group, as well as other Free Syria Army groups that stayed in Idlib. What is happening how is the following — Al-Nusra wants to remove all potential competitors from Idlb, anyone that wants to join peace process, or join Turkey. Obama was very helpful in the last days of his administration, and did a bit of bombing of Al-Nusra’s competitors.
Speaking of Turkey. It has a very hard task ahead in Al-Bab, as too many factors are conspiring to prevent it from advancing. It is good to know that on his first day Gen. Mathis has bombed ISIS positions in Al-Bab, in Raqqa and Deir Azzor. Turkey has lost soldiers and associated militants in this battle. Some soldiers were burned alive. There is no reasoning with these groups, as they are not locals — so cannot really hope to get anything, other then prolong the battle.
But it remains to be seen if Turkey will focus on Manbij, or just take a direct open road to Raqqa. Syran Army and Russia are focusing on Deir Azzor, where ISIS made some advances in recent weeks. But the more it stretches itself on two sides of the front, the more vulnerable it will become. And with Gen. Mathis ACTUALLY bombing ISIS positions, it may be possible for Turkey not to encounter such resistance. It does appear that Syrian Army is HELPING Turkey around Al-Bab, taking villages further into Aleppo province.
ISIS leadership in Raqqa has been replaced by all non-Syrians. I guess they cannot trust them any more. It is not clear if Kurds are proceeding into Raqqa, as not much has been reported.
To say that civilians have been harmed — is really hardly any news. It is not as if Turkey is just reckless and is disregarding the lives of civilians. Then, it will be newsworthy. But in the meantime, putting things in quotes to signify something less then, something improper in their pursuit of ISIS — is deriding the thankless task of getting ISIS out of urban areas.
I feel sorry for the Observatory. Now that their key clients, Al-Nusra, has been forced to get rid of its last batch of allies — save Al-Zinka, there will be little to report. In fact, Al-Nusra has managed to cut off internet access to the whole region.
They are going after infrastructure, internet, water, gas fields, gas pumping stations — name it. Just to make civilians life more miserable.
I have news for those, and their sponsors, those that shed tears when Aleppo was liberated. This is NO WAY TO CAPTURE POPULATION HEARTS AND MINDS. In fact, they are so sick of all the militants — and are actually not happy with the peace process, that gives various Salafi extremists a platform to legitimize. Such as Jaish Al-Islam and their Saudi sponsors.
Of course, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have been supplying ISIS and other radical groups for quite a while.
So those countries have to take responsibility for the atrocities that ISIS has inflicted on innocents.
But of course these countries do not take any responsibility, and the US says absolutely nothing. Which implies that the US may be enabling such atrocities, even if indirectly.
December 30, 2016 U.S. Is Selling Weapons That Kill A Child Every 10 Minutes
While the world has been transfixed on the epic tragedy in Syria, another tragedy — a hidden one — has been consuming the children of Yemen. Battered by the twin evils of war and hunger, every 10 minutes a child in Yemen dies from malnutrition, diarrhea, or respiratory-tract infections.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46132.htm
“According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights..”
Immediate fail. Fake news from the one-man Sunni terrorist propaganda office based in London. Zero credibility.
No doubt there have been “civilian” casualties. That’s what happens when the terrorists embed with their “civilian” supporters…. and civilian captives. War is nasty.