Syrian Democratic Forces Est. Oct. 2015

7 Comments

1. 

   Oui on February 19, 2016 at 8:20 am

   Has just been humiliated by facts on the ground, just as Obama is fed-up with the shenanigans of Sultan Erdoğan of Turkey and Wahhabi King Salman of Saudi Arabia.

   Ah… The Terrible Turks | blog Semper Tirannis on Feb. 14, 2016 |

   I worked in Turkey long ago, with the Turkish Army actually.  It was a very pleasant time, a two year vacation from the wars in SE Asia.  I like the Turks.  They are a lot like Americans used to be; blunt, inclined to direct action…  At the same time they treasure a pleasure in scheming that they share with the Syrian and Lebanese descendants of the vassals of the Ottoman state.

   The US and the West in general have encouraged an attitude in Erdogan’s Turkey that mirrors Bibi’s statement that “the Americans can be pushed easily.”  We all look malleable to Erdogan.  He is an MB style salafi.  He wants to think we are degenerate and doomed to live in a world dominated by his kind of Islam. We have given him no reason to think that is not the future.  At the same time we have tolerated his traffic in IS oil coming across the border east of Azaz and west of Jarabulus.    Why have we done that?  We must know that the money derived from that trade supports IS.

   Now he threatens Europe with release of masses of Muslim migrants upon them.  We deserve to be threatened.  We look soft.

   Now the Turkish Army is shelling YPG positions around Menagh village and its airfield near Azaz in Syria.  Why are they doing that?  IMO they want to keep R+6 forces plus the YPG from closing the border Azaz-Jarabulus and the shelling is a warning.  They have said that the Kurds must withdraw from these positions and not return.

   Turkish 2nd Army is massing north of the Azaz/Jarabulus sector of the border.  The Saudi Sunni led juggernaut is at least notionally intended for combat in Syria.  Yesterday I raised the straw man idea that they might motor march all the way to Baghdad and beyond.  That seems implausible.  On the other hand a sea movement around Arabia and through the Canal to a major port like Iskenderun is quite plausible, especially given the news that Saudi aircraft are deploying into Incirlik not far from Iskenderun.  A Sunni juggernaut/Turkish Army link up in SW Turkey would provide Turkish fire and logistical support to the Sunni juggernaut.

   What role would the US play in a scheme like that?  Unknown.

   Would the Turks/Sunni juggernaut actually invade Syria and risk war with Russia?  Unknown.  pl

   ○ Israel’s Ya’alon advocates use of Sunni proxies to fight ISIS and Iran [advance the ill-founded Neocon policy of chaos: divide and rule - Oui]

   A previous encounter with Pat Lang, a long time contributor here @BooMan …

   ○ NYT & Patrick Lang Beating the War Drums ¶ Exacerbates Fear of Iran by Oui @BooMan on Jan. 14, 2006

   • 

     Oui on February 19, 2016 at 8:26 am

     My 2006 diary on beating the war drums, earned me an accusation of anti-semitism
     from MarekNYC over @Eurotrib. I refuted the accusation in a new diary …

     ○ Character Assassination :: Mine!

2. 

   Oui on February 19, 2016 at 10:48 pm

   ○ Turkey’s Most Wanted: Interview with PKK Leader Cemil Bayik in Quandil Mountains | VICE News |
   ○ Young guns rule their turf in Turkey – YDG-H | Al Monitor |

   Noteworthy and much appreciated: 1x recommend and nearly 200 times shared [thx] .. and counting!

3. 

   Oui on February 20, 2016 at 9:19 am

   Our freedom fighters are considered terrorists by the Syrian regime and its allies. Agreement by Secretary Kerry and FM Lavrov on cessation of hostilities reached in Munich except for groups considered terrorists. No agreement on which groups belong to “terror” militia … however there seems to be more and better coordination and communication between the military commanders in the field.

   ○ US has asked Russians not to attack special forces in Syria: Military
   ○ Kurdish forces expand airstrip in northeast Syria | Jane’s Defense Weekly |

   Readout of the President’s Call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey | White House press release |

   The President spoke today by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the situation in Syria and U.S.-Turkish cooperation in the fight against terrorism.  The President condemned and offered condolences for the February 17 terrorist attack in Ankara, which killed and wounded both military personnel and civilians, and the February 18 terrorist attack against a Turkish military convoy in Diyarbakir Province.  

   President Obama expressed concern about recent Syrian regime advances in northwest Syria and urgently called for a halt to actions that heighten tensions with Turkey and with moderate opposition forces in northern Syria, and undermine our collective efforts in northern Syria to degrade and defeat ISIL.

   President Obama stressed that YPG forces should not seek to exploit circumstances in this area to seize additional territory, and urged Turkey to show reciprocal restraint by ceasing artillery strikes in the area.  He emphasized the unwavering commitment of the United States to Turkey’s national security as a NATO Ally.  

   The two leaders expressed their support for the understanding reached in Munich last week on the cessation of hostilities in Syria and called on Russia and the Assad regime to halt airstrikes against moderate opposition forces.  

   The leaders pledged to deepen cooperation in the fight against all forms of terrorism, including the PKK, and reiterated their shared goal of degrading and ultimately destroying ISIL.

   Putin’s winning in Syria – but making a powerful new enemy | The Spectator | |

   Russia’s bombing of the city of Aleppo this week sent a clear message: Vladimir Putin is now in charge of the endgame in Syria. Moscow’s plan — essentially, to restore its ally Bashar al-Assad to power — is quickly becoming a reality that the rest of the world will have to accept.

   America, Britain and the rest may not be comfortable with Putin’s ambitions in the Middle East, or his methods of achieving them. But the idea of backing a `moderate opposition’ in Syria has been proved a fantasy that leaves the field to Putin and Assad.

   ○ Turkey shells YPG targets in northern Syria | Hürriyet Daily News |
   ○ Turkish attacks on Kurds muddle Obama’s Islamic State fight | AP – July 29, 2015 |

4. 

   Oui on February 20, 2016 at 9:36 am

   Assad to play ‘Kurdish card against Turkey, report says | Le Figaro / HND | (Oct. 9, 2011)

   Syria is looking to destabilize Turkey by providing greater autonomy to the Arab republic’s Kurdish population in the wake of Ankara’s demands that Damascus heed the demands of the country’s opposition, French daily Le Figaro has reported.

   The Bashar al-Assad government has begun to support the Kurdish people living in Syria’s north, which is reportedly home to 1.9 million Kurds, in an attempt to pose a threat to Turkey in its fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), daily Hürriyet quoted the daily as saying yesterday.

   Assad has taken advantage of the current crisis in the country to establish a “Kurdish autonomous region” in Syria in the event that he falls from power in a similar fashion to Col. Moammar Gadhafi in Libya.

   The president has been preparing the ground for a Kurdish autonomous regional administration by opening Kurdish schools in the country’s north, reported Le Figaro, adding that the language of instruction was Kurdish and that the Kurdish anthem was sung every day.

   The daily also claimed that Assad permitted Kurdish politician Salih Muslim Muhammad, the head of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is seen as a PKK affiliate, to return to Syria as a message to Turkey. Muslim was in exile in Iraq until the protests against Assad began in Syria earlier this year.

   The PYD is reportedly organizing local elections in the north, the daily said. The newspaper said accepting the Kurdish politician into Syria must be seen as an action to “punish [Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan for harshly objecting to Syria’s crackdown on its dissidents.”

5. 

   Oui on February 21, 2016 at 2:51 pm

   Lavrov, Kerry discuss conditions for Syria ceasefire | RT |

   Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry have spoken on the phone about the Syrian crisis, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. They talked about ceasefire conditions that would exclude operations against groups “recognized as terrorist by the UN Security Council,” the ministry added.

   Sergey Lavrov and John Kerry continued to discuss the cessation of hostilities in #Syria | MFA Russia |

   Voices of propaganda from Washington DC:

   Voice of the White House (NSC Susan Rice or VP Biden?)
   ○ U.S. Embassy Syria @USEmbassySyria

   Well, not in sync with diplomacy and efforts by Kerry/Lavrov.

   US propaganda ambassador @UN Samantha Power is usually hawkish on issues and NEVER agrees with views expressed by U.N. Ambassador Churkin of Russia. Does Samantha report to Vicky Nuland or vice versa?

   More reports from key Russian Embassy in the UK

6. 

   Oui on February 22, 2016 at 8:44 pm

   Quite cordial, is Vladimir in a good mood?

   The statement was first published on the Kremlin’s official website on Monday. This is the full text:

   Friends,

   I just had a telephone conversation with President of the United States of America Barack Obama. The phone call was initiated by the Russian side, but the interest was certainly mutual.

   During our conversation, we approved joint statements of Russia and the US, as co-chairs of the ISSG, on the cessation of hostilities in Syria. Adoption of the statement was preceded by intensive work by Russian and American experts. We also made use of the positive experience we accumulated over the course of cooperation in eliminating chemical weapons in Syria.

   Our negotiators held several rounds of closed consultations. As a result, we were able to reach an important, specific result. It was agreed that the cessation of hostilities in Syria commences at 00:00 (Damascus time) on February 27, 2016 on terms and conditions that are a part of the Russian-American statement.

   The essence of these conditions is as follows: by 12:00 pm on February 26, 2016, all parties warring in Syria must indicate to the Russian Federation or our American partners their commitment to the cessation of hostilities. Russian and American troops will jointly delineate the territories …

   See also a number of my latest posts in this new article @MoA …

   ○ Syria: Does This “Cessation Of Hostilities” Allow Attacks On Jaish al-Fatah?