The US has struggled to figure out exactly what their position on the Turkish invasion of Syrian Kurdistan is. Kurdish officials know what they expected the US to do, defend them as an ally, and the fact that they aren’t is causing a lot of disquiet.
Key Kurdish politician Aldar Khalil said the US needs to meet its “obligations” toward the Kurdish forces who fought along side them against ISIS, and do something to repel the Turkish invasion.
That’s not so easy, with Turkey being a member of NATO, but Kurdish officials are suggesting that with Turkey’s President Erdogan talking openly of taking all of Syrian Kurdistan, the US has to stop him sooner rather than later.
Turkey, of course, insists that as a fellow NATO member, the US owes them support, and should withdraw from all Kurdish territory. So far the US isn’t doing either, but playing this middle ground isn’t satisfying anyone, and has both the Kurds and Turks believing the US is siding against them, at least somewhat.
When will the Kurds ever learn.
Seemingly NEVER…..!!!!!!!!!!!
You really can’t accuse these opportunistic nomads and petty theives of being particularly smart. They have been ditched 3 times already by the US since the start of US’s (israels) war against Syria.
Every time they call upon US to “meet it’s obligations” and protect whatever Syrian property, resources and land they have managed to steal so far, but to no avail.
Now it’s a waiting game and their talks with Russia will eventually give better results in terms of Turks backing of from the area but on the inevitable condition of accepting Syrian sovereignty and handing back oil wells.
The Kurds don’t have a united leadership. That leaves them open to manipulation by divide and conquer, and that is what we see happening.
These are esrly days. US is still thinking neoconese, so more likely Israel will try to threaten Lebanon, some Greek officials have decided to take a stroll close to Turkish territory, someone in Cyprus is trash talking, In other words, thinking still within the same box.
Let us see who really cares more about the stakes involved.
America gave them the tools to defend themselves, these are battle tested fighters that took on ISIS. Turkey may have to learn what Israel did when it fought Hezbollah in Lebanon that it’s not so easy to fight someone who fights back.
This demands an American Odysseus who can sail our ship of state between the Scylla of Turkey and the Charybdis of the Kurds.
What the Kurds expect is that we must stay in their areas forever because Turkey is not the only power which opposes a Kurdish state. The others are Syria and Iraq. Perhaps a mild form of autonomy can be negotiated but more does not seem possible. For the sake of saving lives of the people there our government ought to take the initiative and call all parties to stay in place, stop shooting and bombing, and come to the table for a negotiated resolution.
What is happening in the Middle East used to be called “Balkanization” in the past.
Balkanization is what is sought, mostly by Israel (aka Yinon Plan). So far, their project to get it is losing.
Syrian Kurds already had an autonomy deal with Assad, in which they promised to keep out al Qaeda and ISIS in return for being left to handle it themselves. They did, and Assad did.
Now the Kurds have been convinced to seek more. Mere autonomy they already had.
This was foolish. Turkey won’t (couldn’t) stand for it, Iraq won’t stand for it, and it is being used against Iran which therefore must fight it (they would anyway of course). Assad and his allies made a deal, and they will want to keep it, not give more to the US in service of overthrowing Assad and attack Iran from Syria.
The US has cynically used the Kurds. So has Israel. They don’t live up to their promises. Today in the NYT a Kurdish leader was quoted as expecting the Americans to remain on the front line against Turkey “until 2022.” That is so far-fetched it is just nuts.
What a surprise, for the well-organized and successful fighting forces of US 21st century glory.