Earlier in the week, Turkey indicated that an invasion of Syrian Kurdistan could happen “at any moment,” to the point that the YPG was mobilizing civilians in Afrin District to prepare a last ditch defense. Turkish officials appear to be backing off that threat, at least somewhat.
Now, instead of making the attack a foregone conclusion, Turkey is conditioning the attack on a demand that the US withdraw all support for the Kurdish YPG, as well as abandon plans to create a new border force in Syrian Kurdistan.
This change suggests that Turkey believes there is at least a possibility that the US will finally back off their long-standing support for the Kurdish YPG, though it comes amid Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s comments on US presence there being “open-ended,” and such a presence virtually requires the YPG supporting that presence, particularly with Syria’s central government repeatedly calling the US unwelcome.
The Pentagon sought to try to deflect opposition to the border force with its own statement Wednesday, saying that the US was neither creating a new army nor a conventional border guard, despite officials having repeatedly referred to the new force as both in previous comments.
The new force was presented initially as deploying along the Syria-Turkey border, and being constituted overwhelmingly of Kurdish fighters. Pentagon officials are now suggesting they will be positioned in areas near former ISIS territory, nominally to ensure that ISIS can’t reemerge.
The time has come to call that land “the Black Hole of Syria” and accept that this Hole has been almost totally created by outsiders not one of which is ashamed for its murderous interference in the affairs of another people.
Can you be more specific?
If I were Putin I’d let this play out I mean he already can claim victory for keeping Assad in power since he showcased his military capabilities he’s been on a selling spree of sophisticated military hardware in the middle East, and why fight with the Turks for invading Syrias sovereignty our the Americans when you can just let Turkey fight with them and then turn to you for influence more military hardware, they where Russia’s first client after the Syria war because of how Russia saved Assad. Brilliant.
Ghis is whh you are not Putin.
No Bianca because I’m Cowboy.
Who invited the USA into Syria?
Israel.
Hello Rosemerry.
The mess we are creating is getting worse. After all kinds of lies — withdraw after ISIS defeated, disarm Kurds, create border force, write constitution for Kurdish Rojava, deal with YPG provisional government and president, and then telling the world of an intent to stay — it is clear that the lies were just to outmanuever everyone, particularly Turkey and Syria. The problem in the nutshell is: US and allies always supported PKK secessionists in Turkey, supported their expansion into Iraq and Syria. YPG has split up in Syria, with the winning side allied with Turkish PKK, and losers in exile. They have an iffice in Moscow. As of today, YPG/PKK alliance in US controlled region is trying with US help to control Afrin. The objective is to eliminate any political or armed opposition, declare Afrin allegance to US supported YPG, camouflage this as SDF — even though Afrin Kurds NEVER participated in SDF. But it is to create an illusion — Afrin is part of Rojava, not Syria, and Afrin YPG is part of SDF. Hence, US ALLIES! Hence, US can bring its warships to area next to Afrin, and with the help of Al-Qaeda now pushed nortward from Idlib, create contested zone. And happy ending as far as US is concerned would be — heroic Afrin Kurds fight back (our allies) Al -Nusra — and “liberate” all the way to Mediterranean coast. There, US warships would be positioned to help them. And once they are happily part of the new Rojava state, US can put a military base on Levant coast to monitor Russian Tartus. Nation building anyone? Cost, no object!
But this happy ending is not guaranteed. For Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran — US strenghtening of PKK, using its leadership to command YPG and an offshoot in Iraq — is a direct threat to their teritorial integrity and stability. It is also a threat to the freedom of movement in the region, as US is aiming to put toll booths on any communication among Turkey, Iraq and Syria. But US suffered a loss in Iraq, when Peshmerga led by Barzani — double crossed them. Peshmerga had no choice. US was imported PKK from Turkey, and recruited Kurds in Iraq under mantra — only US and Israel can give us independence. To make PKK successfull, US practically gifted them Sinjar — the excuse for going back into Iraq. But Yazidi were not allowed to go back, as Iraqi and Turkish PKK entered the city. Peshmerga that fought aling, was ordered by US to stay out. The same happened when Kirkuk was liberated from ISIS, and though not a majority Kurdish town — PKK occupied it. Barzani then announced a surprise referendum, PKK in Iraq and US were against it — as they did not want Peshmerga to politically win. But Barzani must have had a deal with Baghdad, and Iraqi army quickly took both Kirkuk and Sinjar from PKK. Peshmerga withdraw from Kirkuk, so there was no bloodshed. PKK was left alone, outgunned and outnumbered. In Syria, YPG spit, and US supported those allied with PKK. The challenge for Assad government was not to call Kurds traitors, as Kurds never had an issue with Damascus. So, Damascus publicly berated Turkey for threatening Kurds — Syrian citizens. Even when Damascus approved, as was the case if Jarabulus to Al-Bab corridor — it was more tacitly. Russia assisted Turkey in Al-Bab ousting of ISIS. The corridor put an end of “liberating”. from ISIS — to expand Kurd held Arab areas. With this blocked — plan B now is to wrest Afrin from Syrian control, using military action in Idlib as an excuse to engage against Al-Qaeda, and declare YPG from Afrin part of SDF — hence US allies. But population of Afrin would rather be under Damascus control, not YPG-PKK, and become a pawn in US/Turkey conflict.
US promise to not create border force is just as truthfull as other promisses. And YPG would not be disarmed. And the promise of two years ago that YPG would withdraw from Manbij was a lie. Now, it appears that Turkey is keeping US guessing. At the moment, it is engaging on both Kurd fronts — starting to engage Kurds in Manbij, as well as in Afrin. While US is ficusing on Afrin and Medditeranean Kurdish state, Turkey is letting US know that it is vulnerable accroo the whole swath of Euphrates valley, as Kurds do not live there, are short of manpower to have booths in the ground there, and US bases are in Kurd dominated Kobane-Hassakah area — while Arab populated towns would be delighted to see Turkey kick Kurds from the area. To top it ioff — yesterday, US supported SDF Arab component plastered all across Raqqa Assad’s picture and hung Syrian flags. Kurds are being overlords in Raqqa, but are a tiny minority population. US is trying to convice Arab tribes to stay with Kurds, but not under them. Then, what kind of territory is that — US 51st state, controlling both Kurds and Arabs, but not allowing either to take charge. With Turkey controlling Al-Bab, a road to Raqqa is wide open. Syrian Army Is collaborating with Turkey in the same vicinity. Bit will be hard for US to call Arab defiance “a return of ISIS”, as this defiance is displaying Assad pictures — hardly ISIS. So, push to grab Afrin, or expose the ultra thin ranks of Kurds, from Raqqa along Euphrates valley. While Syrian Army cannot operate there, Turkey can chase PKK YPG with legitimacy — as the aarab population is majority, and does not wish to see US imposed Kurdish rule. Also, there is a splinter YPG representation in Moscow, those that are not in favor of PKK and US occupation of Kurdish lands. The final, complicated stage has arrived. Putin will have plan with Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Damascus. One can safelly bet on the lack of transparency, and various roles to be played by all the participants. It really mostly depends on the obstinance of neocons — that are clearly in charge of Syria policy now. Obstinence, combined with the lack of regional support to which these people are utterly blind.
The obvious conclusion when the Pentagon changes its rationale for its actions is that neither explanation was the truth in the first place.
The truth is that Trump and the CIA and the Pentagon still want Syria’s military degraded so they can’t be an effective actor against Israel in a war with Iran or support Hizballah in Lebanon.
That is the real reason the US is in Syria and has been since day one of the Syrian crisis. This is proven by the THREE UN Security Council Resolutions early on where the US tried to get a “Libya” attack going. It’s also proven by the THREE times Obama tried to impose a “no-fly zone” on Syria, only to be forced to back down by Russia.
Nothing has changed. The US and Israel can’t start a war with Iran until both Syria and Hizballah have been degraded in capability. So that is the goal.