https://southfront.org/how-russian-turkish-safe-zone-deal-shapes-course-of-syrian-conflict/
The military crisis in northeastern Syria started by the Turkish military offensive on Kurdish militias amid the US troops withdrawal deflated.
On October 23, Turkey, Russia and Syria started implementing the ‘safe zone’ agreement reached by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier. Units of the Russian Military Police deployed in the border town of Kobani. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Syrian Army will establish a total of 15 observation posts on the Turkish-Syrian border to the east of the Euphrates. The next steps are the withdrawal of Kurdish YPG units and their heavy weapons from the agreed buffer zone and the start of joint Russian-Turkish patrols.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that Operation Peace Spring in northeastern Syria does not need to be expanded and that there is no need to carry out any new operations because the main goals had been achieved. Turkish sources say that some YPG fighters, that they call “terrorists”, may remain in the area, but do not expect large-scale military actions. Members of the Turkish-backed coalition of militant groups, the Syrian National Army, remain in the captured areas between Tell Abyad and Ras al-Ayn.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry described the Russian-Turkish agreement as a positive move to reach a stability in Syria. The ministry recalled that Iran has always supported political measures to settle the conflict.
The United States, that are finalizing the main phase of the troops withdrawal, also seem to be satisfied with the outcome of the situation. During an October 23 press conference, President Donald Trump took a credit for the de-escalation in northeastern Syria, praised the ceasefire and announced that his administration was removing sanctions imposed on Turkey in response to its military action against Kurdish forces. The US President also confirmed that a “small number” of US troops would remain in the area “where they have the oil.”
Actions of Syria, the United States, Russia and Turkey demonstrate that all the key sides of the conflict accept the deal over northeastern Syria and move forward in the direction of a possible political settlement. The separatist faction within the Kurdish political and armed groups of northern Syria suffered a major blow. The only side unhappy with the outcome is Israel that strongly condemned Turkey’s actions and publicly supported the Kurdish separatism in Syria and Iraq as a tool against its never-ending campaign against the expanding Iranian influence. The US military presence in the al-Tanf border area is likely a goodwill gesture of Trump to his Israeli partners.
In the current conditions, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, and therefore Kurdish militias and political factions, have the only option – to be reintegrated into the modern Syria. Moscow already warned them that if they decline to fulfil the safe-zone deal the Russians and the Syrian Army will have to open a way for the Turkish military machine that will crush them.
The YPG-led partisan war against the Damascus government and attempts to push the Syrian Army back from the provinces of Raqqah and Hasakah by military means is unlikely scenario. If the Kurdish leaders attempt to play this scenario, a vast majority of the Syrians, including the so-called ‘moderate opposition’, will consider them to be a bigger threat than ever ISIS.
In the coming months the situation in northern Syria will remain mostly stable. However, after the 2019-2020 winter, it’s expected that factions affiliated with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) will step up terrorist activity in northern Syria, mainly the area of Afrin, and Kurdish-populated parts of Turkey Southeastern and Eastern Anatolia Regions. Big Turkish cities, like Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir and Gaziantep, may also become places of strident PKK attacks. The main targets will be personnel and facilities affiliated with the Army, the Gendarmerie General Command and Police. However, even in the event of success, such kind of activity will not force the Erdogan government to make cardinal changes in its policies towards Syria and the PKK-linked groups.
Another point of possible instability is Greater Idlib, where al-Qaeda affiliated militant groups still present along with the Turkish-backed ‘opposition’. The Damascus government and its allies repeatedly stated that the Idlib de-escalation agreement does not include terrorists. So, Ankara will have to neutralize them in its zone of responsibility or the Syrian Army will come to do so, like it was done in northern Hama in August.
Who controls Raqqa now?
Kurds are not to be trusted.
Americans will try to do something dirty.
Raqqa is under the control of the Syrian government, SAA.
It is totally destroyed as a city. And under the rubble and, also, in mass graves are thousands of former citizens. Kurds never “took the city”. ISIS was withdrawn by the US handlers, Kurds stepped aside, and the city was bombed by US and heavy artillery 175mm, Marines from a far distance until no buildings were left intact.
It was all a show for the naive.
Raqqa was a war crime, just as Mosul was in Iraq.
“The US President also confirmed that a “small number” of US troops would remain in the area “where they have the oil.”
Well, that “small number” is being bolstered by additional troops being brought in from outside Syria.
US ‘Likely’ to Deploy Tanks in Syria to Guard Oil Fields – Report
https://sputniknews.com/military/201910241077143027-us-likely-to-deploy-tanks-in-syria-to-guard-oil-fields–report/
“The Pentagon has prepared a plan to relocate up to 30 Abrams tanks to secure Syrian oil fields, citing a need to repel the resurgent Daesh* terror group. Comments made by a Pentagon official suggest, however, that there are other reasons.
The US Defence Department has drawn up a plan to send hundreds of soldiers and a tank battalion to guard oil fields in eastern Syria, and is waiting for the president’s approval, which is “likely,” Fox News reported, citing an unnamed senior Pentagon official. The plan reportedly involves bringing in half of an Army armoured battalion which could include up to 30 Abrams tanks.
The oil fields in question are currently under the control of the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to a report by Newsweek. According to the official, the Kurds will “continue to be involved” in securing the oil extraction zones.
On Monday, the US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said that US forces in Syria that are stationed near the oil fields are “not in the present phase of withdrawal.”
However, the official told Newsweek that the proposed tank deployment is to have a combined mission of keeping Daesh, as well as the Syrian government, Iran and their allied militias away from the oil fields.
According to a Fox News report published Thursday, the proposed forces will be relocated to Syria from another unit already deployed in the Middle East.”
The zionazi-gays made a tactical retreat, they are now digging in. The trump quisling is not withdrawaling from Syria, and never intended to. He is a fraud and morals free liar. Full of nothing but govno and greed. Always has been.
You can see, yet again, why ‘Yankee’ derives from a Dutch word for thief.
I didn’t know this!
I did some searching, and this is the best article I found regarding the etymology.
https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2011/04/06/damn-yankees/
So much for the withdrawal of US stormtroopers that America was soiling itself about in either premature anger (from the pro-War establishment) or premature celebration (from the supposed anti-War opposition).
The more American behavior changes, the more it stays the same.
The Americans do not leave willingly any area it tries to colonize, it will have to be driven to out–over their dead bodies.
needless offensive statement removed … mod
Its now time for the SAA and allies to take back those oil fields,if they have to by force,there can’t be a situation where US gangsters decide they will have the oil,if that means a direct confrontation thats what must happen,we will see if the American public will tolerate their boys going home in sacks.
“Its now time for the SAA and allies to take back those oil fields,if they have to by force”
This is exactly what israeloamerica wants, unclebob.
Did you want me to comment on this? I mostly agree with you here.Unless the US crosses the Rubicon with nuclear weapons ,I think direct confrontation is a bad idea. If they did,then all bets are off.
Still trouble potentially in Idlib????
“Informed sources in the city of Jisr al-Shoghour in western parts of the Idlib Province said that Tahrir al-Sham terrorists have recently received state-of-the-art weapons and military equipment, including modern anti-tank missiles, communications and electronic jamming equipment as well as 200 drones.”
SDF not happy….being difficult as usual….trying to create bargaining points or stall time awaiting arrival of 30 Abrams tanks etc as USA wants them to help protect oil fields????
https://southfront.org/sdf-commander-says-they-rejected-terms-of-russian-turkish-agreement-on-northeast-syria/
Moscow on US Idea to Deploy 500 More Troops to Syria: Washington Sending Mixed Signals
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201910251077149501-moscow-on-us-idea-to-deploy-500-more-troops-to-syria-washington-sending-mixed-signals/
“Earlier, the US Defence Department has drawn up a plan to send hundreds of soldiers and a tank battalion to guard oil fields in eastern Syria.
Russia would not want a new round of complications in northeast Syria due to a US decision to send additional forces there, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
“We would not like new complications. The work that has been done at the level of the leadership of Russia and Turkey in recent days, the results of the negotiations in Sochi should not tempt anyone to reformat or change something again,” he said.
The contradictory signals the US has sent regarding Syria may indicate a desire to maintain conditions that allow for continued pressure on Damascus, Sergei Ryabkov added.
“We are very definitely worried that the signals from the White House may reflect the same attitude: to preserve the conditions for continuing multi-component pressure on the legitimate authorities in Damascus,” he said. “This is the moment we don’t agree and we can’t agree with the United States on the situation.”
According to media reports, Washington is mulling the possibility to deploy 500 more servicemen to the area for guarding oil facilities.”
Yes, America plans to steal Syria’s oil, and the much-hyped “withdrawal” of US troops is belied by the USA’s plans to keep some US special forces (and reportedly even a US tank battalion) in the oil-rich regions of Eastern Syria.
“We Want To Keep The Oil”
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/10/25/we-want-to-keep-the-oil/
Trump and NY Times Admit US Imperialist War in Syria
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/10/25/trump-and-ny-times-admit-us-imperialist-war-in-syria/
Sorry, but the fairy tale of Trump, the anti-interventionist President, which has been pushed by many so-called alternative media outlets, is about as real as the Easter Bunny.
Just like wish to stop Iran oil exports maybe to cripple Syria as they wish for Iran…..
This is probably a temporary situation until enough responsible people can be found to secure the oil.
“Taking the oil” is what Trump campaigned on. His overriding thought on the Iraq war was the US “should have taken the oil”.
“Sorry, but the fairy tale of Trump, the anti-interventionist President, which has been pushed by many so-called alternative media outlets, is about as real as the Easter Bunny.”
Exactly. The various psywar gymnastics utilized to reinforce this backdoor trump support is worse than what was applied to get people buying obamas antiwar bs. The zionazi-gays continue to hone their psywar.
Recent articles in the Vineyard boasting about Russian/Syrian/Iranian/Hezbollah victories in Syria, are misleading. To suggest that US desires for further regime change has been halted, is naive. Trump is no different from Obama and the rest of the elite Western establishment and Putin should not forget it. Making deals with a backstabbed like Turkey and the Kurds is the same as making them with ISIS. They are only temporary measures to appease Russian internal politics. At some point, Putin will have to commit to put forces on the ground and to utilize military resources or all his efforts will have been for nought.