The conflict between US allies continued to escalate when a Turkish warplane bombed sites used by Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria. Ankara and Washington are members of the North Atlantic alliance, and the Syrian Kurds have acted as America’s proxy force for several years. The strikes followed the US shooting down a Turkish drone in Syria that Washington says threatened American troops.
On Friday, the Turkish military reported hitting 30 targets in Syria. The statement said the sites were used by the PKK, a militia of Kurds from Turkey. Ankara labels the PKK as a terrorist group. Two members of the group targeted the Turkish Interior Ministry this week. Only the attackers were killed, one died after detonating a suicide bomb.
The strikes followed the US shooting down a Turkish drone in Syria. The Department of Defense said that some American soldiers were forced to take cover. On Thursday, Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon Press Secretary, said the decision to shoot down the drone “was made out of due diligence and the inherent right of self-defense to take appropriate action to protect US forces.”
Ankara downplayed the incident and said it was due to a miscommunication in the “deconflicting mechanism.” Ryder explained the Pentagon does not believe Turkey was targeting American soldiers.
Within Syria, the PKK is closely aligned with the YPG. The YPG is a Kurdish militia backed by the US. Under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the YPG rules the portion of Syria that is occupied by US troops.
Ankara has launched several protests against Washington’s support for the YPG, which Turkey labels as a terror group that aids the PKK. American troops have armed and trained the Kurdish militia to fight against the Islamic State. However, since IS has lost its territory in Syria, the YPG has started to clash with Arabs who live in the Kurdish-controlled territory.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
Just for fun they should tell Biden that Article 5 requires Turkey and the US to come to each other’s defense.
Let’s be clear; the PKK ARE a “terrorist” organization; the US Government itself considers them one; as does the EU – although, as with Al Qaeda in Syria, the US now finds itself aligned with “terrorist organizations”, so will use them against other “enemies” like Assad, or Iraqi Shiites, who USED to be our friends but now are also our enemies, because we don’t like their “other” friends, like Iran; and we will protect the terrorists, even from allies like Turkey (YES, as a member of NATO Turkey IS an official ally of the USA).
Funny that after crying about Russia downing a US drone off Crimea, the US was quick to down ITS OWN ALLY’s drone in Syria, and NO, not because it was “threatening US troops” but because it was threatening the terrorists we now protect.
No One could make this crap up. Our “foreign policy” is a confused mess of conflicting aims and no one seems to be in charge.
Meanwhile, our terrorist allies, of different persuasions, are killing each other, burning each other’s villages, and “cleansing” their “claimed” territories of each other’s women and children, while we sit around and complain about “Assad Must Go” and “the rules based order”.
Makes me want to puke.
Killary blames it all on PPPuten. So much resentment shows when she mouths off that “P.” Sorry, man. I thought I could help you puke. It’s not a good feeling when you want to puke but can’t. …Me? I have no problems with that. One look at her face or even Biden’s, or Nuland’s, and I can keep puking all day long. (Sarcasm)
“Let’s be clear; the PKK ARE a “terrorist” organization. . .”
The PKK has indeed engaged in terrorist tactics, but not nearly on the scale of state oppression, terrorism and massacres carried out against Kurds seeking autonomy or independence — or even to educate their children in their own language — by the Turkish government.
Don’t argue that point with me; it’s the US Government and the EU, along with Turkey, who say they are. Apparently, they are the only ones who get to “officially designate” who is and who is not a terrorist. And, by US law, the US government is prohibited from assisting organizations so designated. Hence the whole “YPG” fantasy, where a person is a terrorist if wearing their PKK hat, and NOT a terrorist of they put on a YPG hat in Syria, even though it is the SAME PERSON.
Turkey’s fight with the Kurds is Turkey’s business; we should never have gotten involved; but it is beyond stupid for us to pretend that the same people are both “terrorists” and “not terrorists” whenever it is convenient for us. Turkey may be authoritarian and cruel, but at least they are consistent. WE are also “authoritarian and cruel”, AND we are inconsistent, stupid, and treacherous.
“. . . we should never have gotten involved . . .”
Perhaps, but we have gotten involved, repeatedly, for decades. And we have repeatedly, cynically, encouraged, used, abused and abandoned the Kurds, who have a fully-legitimate right to autonomy or independence.
Agree that our manipulation of the Kurds has been disgraceful.
“American soldiers were forced to take cover.” THE HORROR! HOW TERRIBLE? Any of them break fingernails? …THEY DID!? It’s time to nuke Syria! …What’s that? …Turkey bombed us? …Ahem. …Okay then. It’s Assad’s fault. Assad must go! …I don’t know anything? Ask any American. We all know exactly what’s going on. We’re just $hitting “freedom and democracy” on those ungrateful Syrians. (Sarcasm)
miscommunication in the “deconflicting mechanism.”
That will do it every time.
War is breaking out all over, where’s the next hot spot? Taiwan? Europe? Some other place? It looks like sides are shaping up and we’re not far from that feared Global Conflict.
We are p*ssing everyone off.
Is Turkey making it uncomfortable for US to stay?