Posted on 10/22/2017 8:39:15 AM PDT by Navy Patriot
In a move that surprised many observers of the ongoing war for Deir Ezzor province, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) handed over one of Syria's largest gas fields to Russian forces on Thursday, possibly as the result of unprecedented direct talks between high ranking Russian officials and Kurdish leaders in Qamishli in northeastern Syria.
Conoco gas plant (also locally called Al-Tabiya, which is the plant's main feeder field) lies on the eastern side of the Euphrates outside of Deir Ezzor city - which was recently liberated from ISIS as the Syrian Army and Russian forces approached from the west of the Euphrates. The Conoco field had been held by ISIS since 2014, and was taken by the SDF on September 23rd as the mainly Kurdish force advanced from the east. The now fast crumbling Islamic State relied on much of its financing through its prior consolidation over many oil and gas sites in the resource rich Deir Ezzor province.
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There is a long history of the Kurds negotiating with Assad.
In a perfect world, they would not want to live under him, but they know they must have someone to keep Turkey and Iran from eating them.
I thought for a while that the unspoken cooperation between the US military and the Russian Military had done much better at this than the State Department has a history of doing. Soldiers are pragmatic and direct.
But the actions of Turkey and Iran have both gone outside that envelope.
Some credit needs to be given to the US and Russian military in dealing with this as well as they have.
The Kurds have had direct meetings with the Russians. And the Russians appear to have advised Assad to work with the Kurds. Which is warranted.
That does not mean that those relationships will always suit Assad.
I read a Yahoo news report that spoke as if the US had lost the battle. Headshake.
Yes, Iran did mess things up big time in Iraq. Turkey and Iran are both making coordinated power plays aimed directly at the Kurds.
Game is not over yet.
There is double dealing with 1 or both of the 2 dominant Tribal Families in Iraq. I have opinions about both of them based on previous discussion with Syrian friends. It is unclear exactly what the Kirkuk deal really was, it is clear that the Quds Commander in charge of the PMF is stabbing the US in the back. Some of it is due to his next in command being killed by a sniper. Iranians are crazy enough to try anything, but they do understand force and they know if provoked enough, we will use it. This is no longer Obozo’s America.
I did hope to get an historical perspective on the the relationship between the Assad's Syria and the Kurds, and should they place their trust there.
I already know the answer for Turkey and Iraq.
Both Turkey and Iran are TROUBLE. Both have huge ambitions. Both are evil.
Iran may have nukes. There is no doubt that Israel does.
Gosh, it's almost as if Russia and Iran are carving up three countries plus an aspiiring nation like a roast. I'm sure an atheist-Shiite alliance will usher in a religiously tolerant workers' paradise, a wonderland on Earth.
p
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