Turkish offensive into Syria

[BFDwager]

YPG is supported by US in fight against ISIS.

New Batch of US-backed Forces Finish Border Training in Northern Syria

[BFDwager]

Mixed Messages From U.S. as Turkey Attacks Syrian Kurds - The New York Times


Middle East Institute
Turkey’s assault on Afrin: the long view
Robert S. Ford, Senior Fellow
The Turkish assault on Afrin in northern Syrian demonstrates the difficulties of the American position in Syria. Secretary of Defense James Mattis downplayed the strain in U.S.-Turkish relations to the press. Washington says that Afrin, which lies well west of the Euphrates, is not an area it would contest, but the Turkish brush-off of American advice made America look weak.
Turkey instead turned to Russia and secured its agreement to redeploy the small Russian force in Afrin to facilitate Turkish operations. The Russians are not confronting Turkish aircraft operating over Afrin even though Russia controls that airspace. Russia wants Syrian government control reestablished throughout Syria, including Afrin. Turkey prefers Syrian government control to autonomous Syrian Kurdish governance, and in northern Syria at least there is an outline of a Russian-Turkish alignment. Meanwhile, many Kurdish observers accuse the Americans of being unreliable allies and are reconsidering how they could secure greater help from Russia.
Over the longer term, it is hard to see how the U.S. will secure its stated political goal of stabilization in eastern Syria and genuine governance reforms in Syria. The U.S. hopes that Russia could and would exert unprecedented pressure on Syria and its Iranian backers to reach a political deal acceptable to America’s Syrian Kurdish and Syrian Arab allies in eastern Syria. Russia’s attitude in Afrin is not encouraging. Without that political deal, a regionally isolated U.S. will have either to entrench with its local allies in eastern Syria over the long term, parrying off the unconventional attacks that will come, or quit eastern Syria altogether.

[Bozzie]

The human toll in Syria is unbelievable.

Exodus: The Journey Continues | Watch S36 E4 | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site

[BFDwager]

Originally Posted by Bozzie

The human toll in Syria is unbelievable.

Exodus: The Journey Continues | Watch S36 E4 | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site

One BIG friggin' mess. For the most part, people do not realize how this crap pushes us that much closer to WWIII.

[Bozzie]

The PBS thing is worth the watch, pretty sad stuff families literally broken to pieces.
And yes we move closer to large scale conflict

[BFDwager]

Continuing conflict not even a footnote in US MSM.

Syria says rare US strike an effort 'to support terrorism'

*Asked if Russia was responsible for not stopping the attack, Veale said: “The de-confliction effort has served its purpose. Just as the coalition does not direct the operations of the SDF, the Russians do not direct operations of the Syrian regime.”
How about w/o their blessings?
Yeah, and I've got some prime real estate for ya' in the Fla. Everglades.

At US outpost in Syria, US general backs Kurdish fighters

[BFDwager]

They probed, we repelled.
Mattis: 'Self-Defense' Attack Doesn't Mean US Getting into Syrian Civil War

[sportsreport]

[Bozzie]

Israel getting in on the action


Israel warns Iran after launching major raids in Syria - BBC News

[sportsreport]

[Bozzie]

not good


U.S. Strikes Killed Scores of Russia Fighters in Syria, Sources Say - Bloomberg

[BFDwager]

Match getting closer to the fuse...

https://www.economist.com/news/leade...y-bind-its-own

[Bozzie]

Got to think Russia being stuck in a quagmire is to the US advantage despite the Russians supporting Bashar al-Assad.. It's a strange balance in Syria right now.

[BFDwager]

A sorry state of affairs...

Cossack Fighter Laments Russian 'Utilization' Of Mercenaries In Syria

[BFDwager]

[QUOTE=BFDwager;8025896]Match getting closer to the fuse...

Closer to the fuse... Part II

Turkish Leader Vows to Expand Military Campaign in Syria, Risking Clash with US

In my view the US should stand firm w/the Kurds. My belief goes back further than the No Fly Zone in Iraq incl Mosul.

[BFDwager]

The Advantages of Kurdish Autonomy in Syria - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

The long, winding history of American dealings with Iraq’s Kurds - The Washington Post

[BFDwager]

A brief review....

GPF Weekly: Turkey’s Middle East Aspirations Beyond Afrin

Excerpt:
With Afrin taken, the path to Manbij and greater control of its border with Syria is almost wide open for Turkey. Except, of course, for one major complication: the U.S. presence in northern Syria and its alliance with Kurdish militias.

Impasse in U.S.-Turkey Relations

Though the U.S. effectively greenlighted Turkey’s invasion of Afrin, it made clear that it would not withdraw its support from the Manbij-based Kurds. This is exactly what Turkey is demanding from the U.S.; Turkey sees no difference between Kurdish forces in Afrin and those in Manbij. For its part, the U.S. remains concerned about a resurgent Islamic State (oh, and the oil field that the US is "protecting"), which it was able to contain in part through its military cooperation with the YPG. This is no idle threat – while Kurdish forces were diverted from anti-IS operations to Afrin to combat Turkey, IS has been re-emerging and is again gaining control of territory.

This is the fundamental impasse in U.S.-Turkish relations. The U.S. needs a ground force to fight IS, and so far groups consisting primarily of Syrian Kurdish militias have been the only ones willing to follow U.S. orders. Yet it is those same Syrian Kurdish militias that Turkey feels it must eliminate to extinguish the threat along its border.

One of two things can happen: Either Turkey and the U.S. reach an agreement regarding Manbij and the Kurds, or they don’t. If they do, there will be some form of U.S. withdrawal from Syrian Kurdish territories. Turkey would enter provinces formerly occupied by the U.S. and its allies, with the blessing of the U.S., in exchange for agreeing to cooperate with the U.S. in its war against IS. In other words, another Kurdish group would be sold out by a former ally.

Such an arrangement would pose its own challenges to the United States. Unlike the Kurds, Turkey will be willing to cooperate with the U.S. only when it does not require subsuming its own interests in the process. And as the quagmire in northern Syria demonstrates, the U.S. and Turkey no longer find themselves consistently on the same side of the table. Turkey has also repeatedly shown itself willing to work with jihadists who would be distinctly unpalatable allies to the United States. Further, there is the risk that Turkey, harnessing the legacy of its Ottoman past to identify itself as the rightful heir to the caliphate, could even find ways to cooperate with IS or other such groups in an attempt to coalesce the disenfranchised Sunni Arab majority in Syria to further challenge Iran’s position there and in Iraq.

*w/tongue firmly in cheek!

[BFDwager]

Easter update...

Why Is the Syrian Civil War Still Raging? - The New York Times

[BFDwager]

USA TODAY...

Trump’s seemingly off-the-cuff remarks oversimplified conditions in Syria and raised fears about Washington’s commitment to stabilizing the country. His remarks also seemed to reflect his hopes for a clean exit from Syria during its seven-year civil war, despite recommendations from his foreign policy and national security advisers.

“We will continue to consult with our allies and friends regarding future plans,” the statement said. “We expect countries in the region and beyond, plus the United Nations, to work toward peace and ensure that ISIS never re-emerges.”
The White House statement was more in line with what the Pentagon has said all along about a U.S. role in Syria.
U.S. military commanders have cautioned against a rush to the exits in Syria, mindful of what happened after American forces left Iraq in 2011. Three years later, Iraq’s military largely collapsed in the face of an Islamic State onslaught that captured a large chunk of the country.
Syria is in even more perilous shape. It has a weak central government that controls only part of the country. Russia, Iran, Turkey and other countries are attempting to exert influence in Syria as it is mired in civil war.
The Pentagon has said that as military operations against ISIS wind down in Syria, the U.S. commitment would shift to support "stabilization" efforts in areas of northern Syria once held by the militant group.
Groups able to step in with aid and reconstruction officials will require a secure environment to carry out their mission.
Much of the security needed to rebuild could be supplied by local forces, though U.S. officials have also said American troops would continue to support those efforts.
Gen. Joseph Votel, who heads U.S. Central Command, said Tuesday there would be a military role in Syria even as the mission shifts from military operations to stabilization and reconstruction.
“The hard part, I think, is in front of us, and that is stabilizing these areas, consolidating our gains, getting people back into their homes, addressing the long-term issues,” Votel said. “There is a military role in this, certainly in the stabilization phase.”

We can not afford to abandon our allies in the region, namely the Kurds. Otherwise it will lead to a vacuum, just as Obama and Clinton's refusal to hold off ISIS from Iraq. Yeah, it's a shitty hand but one that we've dealt to ourselves. Basically, the US has disrupted what was the balance of power in the Middle East. We can't just pick up our toys and go home... If we don't try to correct problems over there... they will become problems over here!
All the while I've got to believe that the Saudi's are just SMFH.

[PPM]

There’s no easy solution to this. But ISIS does have their backs against the wall. A lot of funding was cut from them and many resource silos were taken out. ISIS is nothing compared to what Erdogan can and probably might be. As declared Sultan, he has undisputed rule and funding to do what he pleases. And what he pleases to do, and has said many times, is bring back the Ottoman Empire. Sadly, not that many people know about the Ottomans throughout history at any point in time. The genocides, massacres and slavery by past sultans like Abdul Hamid are incomparable. And Erdoğan wants to bring that back.

[BFDwager]

Good points PPM....
It's one of those things that comes full circle. So much chaos in the Cradle of Civilization...

For the US... it's like that old adage, There are those who make it happen, those who watch it happen and, those that wonder, what to hell happened!

[BFDwager]

EU Urges Russia, Iran, Turkey To Press For Pause In Syria Conflict

A real head scratcher here boys. Seems to me that Russia and Iran should be on the hook for much of this, since their support of Assad has helped create this horrible situation. Basically the UK and the EU are throwing "not in my backyard" money at it. US still searching for "see you in hell" funds.

"Meanwhile, UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told reporters on April 25 he expected donors to pledge $4.4 billion in aid for 2018 for Syria and neighboring countries that are sheltering refugees from the war.
He earlier told the AFP news agency that he hoped to see $8 billion pledged at the conference.
Lowcock thanked the EU, Germany, and Britain for their "exceptionally large" offers and noted that some big donors, such as the United States, had not yet been able to confirm their pledges because of domestic budget processes. Britain announced 450 million pounds ($628 million) for 2018 and another 300 million pounds ($418 million) for next year, while Germany said it would donate more than a billion euros ($1.22 billion).
Lowcock added that he expected pledges to be made for a further $3.3 billion for 2019 and afterward from some of the more than 80 countries, aid groups, and agencies at the conference."

[BFDwager]

Originally Posted by BFDwager

USA TODAY...


We can not afford to abandon our allies in the region, namely the Kurds. Otherwise it will lead to a vacuum, just as Obama and Clinton's refusal to hold off ISIS from Iraq. Yeah, it's a shitty hand but one that we've dealt to ourselves. Basically, the US has disrupted what was the balance of power in the Middle East. We can't just pick up our toys and go home... If we don't try to correct problems over there... they will become problems over here!
All the while I've got to believe that the Saudi's are just SMFH.

Can not, do not support POTUS decision to abandon our Kurdish allies in Syria. This type of decision should not be at the sole discretion of one ill informed man. I support Gen. Mattis...

[Roma]

trump also just ordered half the troops home in afghanistan

and just got funding for the wall in the house


good day overall after a bad few weeks

[chibob]

Originally Posted by Roma

trump also just ordered half the troops home in afghanistan

and just got funding for the wall in the house


good day overall after a bad few weeks

Not gonna happen

Needs 60 votes in Senate and Mitch can't count that high

that is, unless a miracle took place this AM