Reporting ISIS to have been effectively defeated in Syria, Defense Secretary James Mattis said he believes the US focus in the nation needs to reflect the changing situation on the ground, and that is going to include the focus of arming and training programs.
While he offered no specific details on timing, Mattis did confirm this change would include halting US arms shipments for the Kurdish YPG, saying the US “obviously don’t need that” if they aren’t launching offensives.
Rather, Mattis said the focus was on holding territory, and that the US needs to start supporting police and local forces in former ISIS territory captured by the Kurds. Exactly how these factions would be affiliated with the YPG itself is unclear.
Ending direct armament of the YPG could potentially placate Turkey, which has been complaining for years about the US support for the Kurds. It is noteworthy, however, that Mattis did not suggest the US would actively try to disarm the YPG.
The YPG are “local forces.” Their basic design is defense of their territory. They were used outside their norm, briefly, by the US as an offensive force. Even if that offensive use ends, they fit perfectly the definition of those the US will continue to support.
They aren’t local to Raqqa.
How about we just f**king leave?
This was always the plan. What comes next is the US turns it’s head while Erdogan sacks Rojava, just like what happened in Iraq. I’ve supported the Kurds for years but I’m getting more than a little tired of saying I-told-you-so’s.
When are these people, these brave and wonderful people, ever going to learn that Uncle Sam is not they’re f**king friend. He is the goddamn devil and he will f**k you over and over and over again. Until you toss that savage beast from your bloody loins, you will NEVER be free.
I think you summed it up rather well there.
The Kurds have to come to terms with the Syrian government, the world doesn’t need a second ethno-state carving out its territory in the Middle East like Israel did.
The YPG doesn’t want an “ethno-state”. They don’t even want a state. All they’ve ever asked for is a permanent autonomous zone to be governed by their councils. Any comparison to Israel is totally ridiculous. The Kurds have far more in common with the Palestinians than the rapacious Turks do.
Maybe you’re right, but hosting the Americans puts them in a clear and potentially dangerous conflict with the Syrian government, so it’s important that they talk to them and resolve this.
Oh, I agree completely. I’ve been saying for months if not years that the Kurds need to ditch the Americans and reach out to Assad and Putin. The YPG has made some terrible mistakes but they remain tactical, not ideological.