Why does this writer put “ terrorist groups” in quote marks.
Their presence in Idlib is a fact. That they are terrorists is a fact.
HTS and Hurras al Deen = al Nusra = al Qaeda in Syria
Erdogan “ promised” to integrate these extremists into its pet FSA and pull them back into Turkey.
And has failed.
And then in Idlib there are the estimated 12,000+ foreign fighters including uighurs, and muslim extremists from the former Soviet Republics, now fighting as IS) iwith whom Russia refuses ( rightly) to negotiate a “ ceasefire”. To avoid them being targeted, Turkey will have to cooperate in exfiltrating these terrorists out of Syria ( Libya?) but who wants them?
One local analyst believes Putin has given Turkey more time but this increases the danger of the CW false flag that has always been successfully used by the terrorists to get NATO to attack Assad
As Russia sees it, some extremists just need killing. I wish we just let them clean up. These people are NEVER going to govern Syria or cooperate with any secular govt. We need to get real. All they are for our policy is spoilers who brutalize anyone they control.
These groups in Idlib were bolstered when the Syrians and Russian “ reconciliation center” allowed them to evacuate to get them out of other cities, where they refused to disarm and join national or local Syrian organized security. Ask the locals how life is now they are gone.
Yes, Turkey employee’s ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Nusra, Al Sham, Uighurs and a dozen other jihadi terrorist groups in the FSA. They are always fighting among themselves and killing and terrorizing locals.
Some of the FSA in Efrin (Afrin) are selling their weapons and sneaking across the border into Turkey. They are not being paid except by rights of pillage and extortion. The money is gone so the ones with a few brains are leaving the sinking ship.
They are also taking some casualties to the Kurds. They killed 15 last week including the commander in Efrin. It runs between 5 and 15 a week being killed and the locals are so angry they are fighting back. At some point the jihadi’s will get crushed without Turk air support. That is not discussed now, but I suspect Russia has withdrawn the access to Efrin airspace. smile. SDF will kick their butts all the way to the border.