In a major attack in northeast Syria, over 100 ISIS fighters tried to stage a major prison break in Hasakeh, clashing with Kurdish forces. The US provided the Kurds air support.
Fighting centered on the prison, but overnight it rapidly spread into surrounding neighborhoods. The Kurds reported that ultimately they surrounded the prison, and foiled the escape.
The prison is question holds 3,500 ISIS detainees, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 25 were killed in the fighting, including 18 Kurds, 6 ISIS, and one civilian bystander. The Kurds did not confirm the toll, but said they had lost some fighters.
Kurdish officials report their security forces are still carrying out operations, and ISIS fighters are shooting at people from nearby houses.
Well the Syrian Kurds certainly played their cards well….
Except that these are not “Syrian” Kurds. SDF are US mercenaries of which some may be Kurds. Since US sits on the border of Syria and Iraq (Kurdish territory), there are all kinds of militants present there. Note worthy are Iraqi PKK, the losers of diivision among Kurds of Iraq. Peshmerga, once our buddies, turned against US (translate, did not do as told). They are important, as US is still trying to collact splinter groups from aming Iraqi and Syrian Kurds to make them accept Turkish PKK leadership. Turkey is in fact in more serious position as Turkish PKK is well ensconced in the region bordering Iraq and Syria, and Turkish forces do not control the area. Most people do not know that thiis is the most successful US and European project, and that Turkey has this serious sword hanging over their sovereignity, This is why US supported YPG — as the offshoot of Turkish PKK. Same in Iraq — when US in the name of fighting ISIS litterally allowed only Iraqi PKK to enter Sinjar and Kirkuk,
This woke up Peshmerga that since collaborates with Turkey to control the rise of US funded Iraqi Kurdish PKK.
When Peshmerga called for referendum in Kurdish autonomy — it was a deliberate shot at PKK. On cue, Iraqi foorces entered Kurkuk and Sinjar exoellung PKK, Peshmerga did not mive a finger to help, instead, Peshmerga gave Iraqi government all border control points to Turkey and Iran, as well as control if all airports,
The only point US controls now is the short border between Syria and Iraq in north—west.
Occassionally, there is Israeli bombing of border controls between Iraq and Syria in Deir Azzir area, where Iraqi border control exists. Israel always sees Iranians everywhere.
Kurds in Hassakah are minority, and after YPG cut the deal with Syria there are NO MORE Kurd commanded Kurdish forces in Syria . None.
This is what Turkey is watching carefully. There will be no more revival of armed YPG presents, as they were the offshoot of PKK.
Syrian Kurds do not support SDF. These militants are irrelevant to Kurdish population, and have ZERO political presence among Kurds.
“…US Airstrikes Foil ISIS Prison Break.” Hard to imagine how an airstrike foils a prison break!? Then comes, “(killed)…and one civilian bystander.” Sounds okay? Meanwhile, a New York Times article documenting another major crime against humanity (https://archive.fo/9EytH) is labeled as “war on ISIS.” It feels so benign. It’s like getting flour on your face while making cake.
Let us first see where this “”incident” took pla e. Hassakah. The place where Syrian forces have a base. Place where Kurds are minority population. Place where after Trump pulled out US forces saw the surrender of weapons by YPG Kurdish fighters to Syrian army, with Russia’s meditation.
YPG were the only Kurdish commanded military. The Kurds in this news are US paid SDF — so called Syrian Demicratic Forces, the remnant of former US braunchild to “luberate” Syria.
Today, it is hard to say how many Kurds are actually part of this mercenary militant group. Very likely, there are special ops, American private-owned units, i.e. “contractors”, those from Al-Tanf Rukban base, US paid PKK units from Iraq, etc.
In fact, there is no evidence nust how much “Kurdish” are these US supported militias in the border with Iraq., and there is no way of telling.
Why Hassakah?
Because at the moment, US is furious with Russia, and is looking for ways to poke at it. Hassakah is the place where Syria and Russia were very patient, and just waiting for a natural evolution of events, Because Syrian fotces are there, and run the governance. US and SDF have this prison outside of Hassakak, with SDF guarding it. It was to symbolically establish “Kurdish” presence there.
The breakout may or may not have happened, as it is not likely that a prison of this size actually exists. It may be a camp, but it has never been established if these were ISIS or other formerly paid militants,
But to bomb a prison is bizzare. It is more like getting rid of prisoon population.
Until some additional information is available, this may be nothing more than telling Syria and Russia — we are still here, and can demonstrate our ability to bomb at will,
However, this is more like Thomas Friedman’s article on Rusdia and Putin. Full of seething fury and foaming anger at the presumably weak and inferior Russia that dared to ask something of US, I do not believe that a coherent plan of action against such perceived insolence exists,
Curiously enough only Turkey reacted. Reminding Kurds niot to try anything.