James Jeffrey, the US special envoy for the war in Syria, told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East on Thursday that he, and the administration, consider Turkish military attacks on the Syrian Kurdish YPG to be “unacceptable.”
This is a major shift in US policy, as throughout the Syrian War, the US has closely allied with the YPG, but has also generally looked the other way when Turkey has decided to attack the Kurds or condemn them as terrorists.
This is a fairly sudden change, too. It was only two weeks ago that Jeffrey himself had confirmed the YPG to be an “offshoot” of the Turkey-based PKK, which both the US and Turkey consider a terrorist organization. Jeffrey did, however, say that the YPG remains “indispensable” for the US.
There has been no sign of a reaction to the change from the Turkish side. The Erdogan government has long insisted they must wipe out the YPG, and consider the US to be backing terrorists in cooperating with the group. This has long been a source of tension between the US and Turkey,and that is likely to grow going forward.
Turkey supports jihadism all over the world.
No, but Saudi Arabia does, and the US helps in too many cases.
I know it is not easy to see through Syrian fog of different colors — but we must try to remember sequence of events. With Damascus initially being on the defensive from militants of all stripes and colors — everybody was gunning to get upper hand. Kurds, supported by Turkish Kurds — started to move aling Syrian border, attempting to move West of Euphrates and ethnically cleanse Syrian Arab and Turkmen population. Turkey CORRECTLY realized that if Kurds succeeded — both sides of the border would have been controlled by Kurds, stretching from Iraqi border to Afrin in the Syria’s West. Translated, West being the sole supporter of Kurdish secessionism in both Turkey and Iraq, is now moving in to support Kutdish secessionists in Syria. With dnd result — naking Turkey isolated in Anatolia, without connection to Middle East and dependent on EU for trade. This strategy was too little and too late, as Turkey already profited from trade with Russia and Asia. The objective to stop Kurds from taking over non Kurdish areas was materialized by supporting Syrian and Turkmen groups to fight Kurds. These were Turkish “terrorists”. Qatar oaid for thise, as Qatar DOES NOT WANT Kurds blicking its gas pipeline to Turkey. Keep in mind Damascus Army lost control of the border to Kurds who pretended that they were loyal to Damascus — but really wanted independence. Formation of ISIS all of a sudden from former Petraeus arming of Iraqi Dawn, Sunnis of Iraq that were formerly loyal to Saddam Hussein.
The upshot of ISIS entry into Syria was sudden ISIS takeover of Turkish border, Deir Azzor and Euphrates valley. So, what Kurds could not do — ISIS. accomplished. Kurds were beaten badly in their stronghold, Kobane. So were Turkey-Qatar sponsored groups. And US coukd finally step in legitimately — to fight ISIS. Kurds got offer ghey could not refuse. Drop any cooperation with Damascus, and work with US to liberate ISIS occupied towns and villages. How convenientt. With YS airforce, Kurds were removing ISIS placeholders one by one — and even Raqqa, while devastated and useless to civilians — saw orderly departure of ISIS. But by that time Rusdia stabiluzed Syria, and ISiS was beaten back from Palmyra. But now, a most dangerous time came for Turkey. It had no Syrian grouos to speak off, and Kurd YPG under phoney SDF started to move West under oretext of fighting ISIS. Manbij was a shock to Turkey — being a large town to fall to Kurds after ISIS departed. This was the last straw, amd Turkey moved in to shore up local groups, and cut a wide corridor from Jarabulus to Al-Bab — expelling ISIS, and getting licals to run thise places as well as secure them. That prevented further YPG advance along Turkish border. At that time, Kurds in Afrin were swayed by YS not to cut smdeal with Damascus, and Turkey stepped in, defeated YPG in Afrin , and sealed border. That stopped smuggling of arms to Al-Qaeda in Idlib, isolating it for the first time.
The standstill with US started. ISIS was kept on life support in US controlled Tanf. Just to have an excuse to bomb Arab civilian controlled towns or villages that managed to throw off YPG overlirds. And why dud they suceed in throwing them off? Turkey started moving into border towns in north east, beating back YPG from Arab towns. This endangered the cire Kurdish area of Kobane — thus YOG withdrew from many places in Deir Azzor and Euphrates. This allowed majority to take control, endangering entire US plan. But — the ONLY way YPG would go back to far flung areas where Kurds DO NOT LIVE — is if US would DEFEND THEM FROM TURKEY IN NORTH EAST. It worked. US is getting nervous having to bomb Syrian civilians who just freed themselved from Kurds and are trying to get under Damascus control. Luckily US repirters are too lazy to ask about this spate of bombing civilians — assuming it has something to do with ISIS — not bothering to look at the map.
Thus — US is building border outposts on border with Turkey, and having done so, now is oublicly telling that it will defend YPG. YPG blackmail worked — as US has zero chance to hold the territory in the name of SDF —without either Kurd population or YPG occupiers being present.
I suspect it will not work — without Kurds living in either Euphrates valley or Deir Azzor, eventually local oopulation will lose patience, and rebel. US will have to intensify bombing — and let us hope that EVENTUALLY even US reporters will start asking about the victims. Let us hope.
Also, US may put symbolic border guards on Turkish border — but Turkey can move in from Al-Bab. There is nothing US can do in fhe face of thinly stretched YPG, and the restless native population. It also hinges upon the eventual waking up of US public to stop believing in ISIS story. There us really no more ISIS in Syria with the exception of thise under US protection. Occasionally they go out in a mission causing havic, but it is mostly hit-and-run. Spiting Turkey — and trying still to create Kurdish barrier between Turkey and Middle East. I fo not believe it can work — but there are no new ideas in US establishment. They are eaising stakes, hoping for the best.
Turkey doesn’t have military bases all over the world. The US supports militarism all over the world.
Refreshingly honest: our illegal military forces in Syria are either terrorists or affiliated with terrorists, and the US may be willing to go to war with historic allies to defend them (the illegal irregular forces, not the historic allies).
Turkey is next door. We are not.
Watch out for tough talk, because Turkey is not going to back off from its now 40-year war with those specific Kurds.
Yet it’s perfectly acceptable for the US to kill Syrians in general…
American Acceptionalism.
America loves using Kurds Against Syrians/Turkish and Iranians just like how America uses Albanians agaisnt Serbs.
“James Jeffrey, the US special envoy for the war in Syria, told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East on Thursday that he, and the administration, consider Turkish military attacks on the Syrian Kurdish YPG to be “unacceptable.””
Three Wise J@ws: Obama to attack Iran in 2014
https://rehmat1.com/2012/12/11/three-wise-jews-obama-to-attack-iran-in-2014/
Great link. The same names appear for many years, with the same agenda.
@dieter,
“Turkey is next door. We are not.”
But “wag the dog” is
It is good to see NATO allies in dispute. The Orwellian “James Jeffrey, the US special envoy for the war in Syria”, when the USA is already illegally enmeshed in far too many wars, tells us he situation.
Only the High and Mighty determine who can kill who.