Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Kurds pull back from ISIS fight in Syria, saying they feel let down by U.S.
WaPo ^ | 3/6/2018 | Liz Sly

Posted on 03/07/2018 8:12:38 AM PST by mac_truck

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

1 posted on 03/07/2018 8:12:38 AM PST by mac_truck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

Kurds let down by the U.S. ....again


2 posted on 03/07/2018 8:13:43 AM PST by stylin19a (Best.Election.of.All-Times.Ever.In.The.History.Of.Ever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

Turkey is prosecuting a very protracted war with the Kurds, regardless of their attitude toward ISIS. Turkey is NOT an ally of the United States, in any way, shape, form or manner.

Unfortunately, in the geopolitical realities of the Cold War, we were forced to work with Turkey as a way of containing the Soviet Union, and in fact, maintained some forward “second strike” bases within Turkey, including nuclear weapons, particularly on Incirlik Air Base, also a fighter base and refueling center for overflights into Soviet-dominated territory. Turkey, before the rise of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2002, was a relatively secular country, but it has changed into an Islamic state, with some sort of idea or re-creating the Ottoman Empire, and they are effectively only in contention with both ISIS and Iran regarding who is to run the new World Caliphate. The objectives of President Erdogan are essentially the same as both, the difference being who is going to be Big Dog.

And for this they will blindly murder each other. Collateral damage be damned.


3 posted on 03/07/2018 8:29:46 AM PST by alloysteel (There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. There are no old, bold pilots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

Time to kick Turkey out of NATO.


4 posted on 03/07/2018 8:35:08 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

The sky is blue, water’s wet, the US makes fools of the Kurds.


5 posted on 03/07/2018 8:48:26 AM PST by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory !!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rashputin

And who crucified thousands of Christian Armanians (men, women, and children? The Kurdish mercenaries hired by the Turks. Odd isn’t it...


6 posted on 03/07/2018 8:52:38 AM PST by Clutch Martin (Hot sauce aside, every culture has its pancakes, just as every culture has its noodle.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

And they will be joining the SAA

One might ask how these ISIS managed to escape from Raqqa and Mosul?

And what role they are intended to play for the US plans to tear Eastern Syrian away from Western Syria and establish bases there??

And how any of this benefits Kurdistan if the US isn’t willing to take firm sides against Turkey


7 posted on 03/07/2018 8:59:57 AM PST by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

Welcome to the party pal. Get in line behind the Cubans, Vietnamese, and all the others who relied on the US for assistance and protection.


8 posted on 03/07/2018 9:07:29 AM PST by DownInFlames
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf

Make sure the Kurds are armed so that they ALL can continue killing each other? Might be hard to hide.


9 posted on 03/07/2018 9:08:19 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

Turkey supports ISIS so this is a strange dance argument but I could see why.

Kurds are also not unified and there are some deeply antiAmerican factions which do these things for ideological reasons

Do they hope ISIS would turn on Turkey and install its kalifate there as a thorn to Turks?


10 posted on 03/07/2018 9:12:32 AM PST by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security Whorocracy & hate:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucifiedc)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

Trust the WashPost to turn this into Fake News LOL!

Deir al-Zour is a big bargaining chip for the Kurds re Syria.
This news, and the presence of Syrian irregular forces in Afrin, shows that Syria and the Kurds are coming to agreement.
Which we want.


11 posted on 03/07/2018 9:14:55 AM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mrsmith; Texas Fossil

“shows that Syria and the Kurds are coming to agreement.
Which we want.”

We want an agreement, but not necessarily one where they agree to turn everything over to the Iranians (who control the “Syrian” irregular forces in Afrin - actually Shi’ite mercenaries paid by Iran).

When the Russians withdrew their air defense and invited the Turks to invade, this were likely results they desired - drive a wedge into US alliances in Syria, and draw Kurdish forces away from the valuable oil fields they occupy East of Deir ez Zour.


12 posted on 03/07/2018 9:35:06 AM PST by BeauBo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

So what else is new?

It’s well past time to recognize Kurdistan and arm the Kurds directly and heavily. They’re one of the few allies we have in the region.


13 posted on 03/07/2018 9:36:54 AM PST by TBP (Progressives lack compassion and tolerance. Their self-aggrandizement is all that matters.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TBP

Actually its well past time for the United States to finish their mission of eliminating ISIS in Syria and go home.

It is unacceptable that ISIS senior leadership is being given an avenue of escape from an area under US/SDF control east of the Euphrates.

Clearly the United States military is engaged in something in Syria other than the mission given to them by the President.

ISIS is a clear and present danger to the civilized world and needs to be eliminated with extreme prejudice.


14 posted on 03/07/2018 10:30:14 AM PST by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: stylin19a

Not at all.

Some YPG fighters are goung to Afrin. We are calling it an operational pause.

They will likely be back soon as I don’t think Afrin can hold.


15 posted on 03/07/2018 10:31:56 AM PST by gandalftb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo

No one ever expected the Kurds to battle Iran. They’ve been well treated by Iran. That’s as much a pipedream as a Kurdish nation.
Countering Iran’s influence in Syria is Russia and ...China. The moneyman who wants peace so he can make his bucks.
Iran’s road to Lebanon is of no use to China and subject to Israeli, SA and Jordanian attack.
Syria is quite likely “a bridge too far” for Iran.


16 posted on 03/07/2018 11:01:38 AM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: mrsmith

“No one ever expected the Kurds to battle Iran.”

The YPG has repeatedly been engaged in combat with Iranian commanded militias, as well as Russian Mercenaries and Syrian Arab Army units. They compete of the the control of land. US air and artillery support have kept large scale offensives at bay.

“Countering Iran’s influence in Syria is Russia”

Russia and Iran are allies in Syria. Russia provides air support to Iranian commanded militias on the ground, in a combined combat team. They have done so for years. Russia has been militarily supporting the expansion of Iran’s influence in Syria.

“Syria is quite likely “a bridge too far” for Iran.”

Well, they are there now. They have captured and held the border crossing town of al Bukamal, and have held it for months now. They have been able to convoy military materiel directly from Iran to Lebanon and the Israeli border - a long sought strategic goal. They are now massing missiles near the Israeli border, and building missile production facilities in Lebanon. War with Israel seems likely this year.


17 posted on 03/07/2018 11:46:00 AM PST by BeauBo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo

Terms of surrender of Kurds are too high, from what I have been told. The control of the National Militia in Syria my be under Iranians, but I saw no apparent Iranians in photos of troops. Most were from Aleppo and MMC from Manbij.

If Turk air strikes could be neutralized by SAMS, Kurds would whip the FSA decisively. Without that, it is bad situation.


18 posted on 03/07/2018 12:06:41 PM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo

Our military wants no part in betraying such good allies as the Syrian Kurds clearly are. They also know that Turkey is a terrorist state, in spite of NATO membership. That membership is totally incompatible with Turkey under Erdogan.


19 posted on 03/07/2018 12:09:26 PM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Texas Fossil

“I saw no apparent Iranians in photos of troops. Most were from Aleppo and MMC from Manbij”

Then they were probably photos from the Kurdish units.

There are very few Iranians in the Iranian-controlled militias anyway - overwhelmingly Lebanese Hizbollah, Afghan, Pakistani and Syrian mercenaries.


20 posted on 03/07/2018 12:12:57 PM PST by BeauBo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson