https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-february-20-2018-turkey-threatens-to-strike-syrian-army/
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies continue preparations for a ground operation against militants in Damascus’ Eastern Ghouta. Now, government forces and warplanes target fortified positions, HQs and weapon depots belonging to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Ahrar al-Sham and their allies.
Pro-militant sources and the mainstream media have already started a propaganda campaign targeting the SAA as the only side responsible for civilian casualties in the area. Various sources provide different numbers, but the key thing in these reports is that the number is high.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nsura) will be exterminated if powers having influence over the group fail to discipline it.
“That is why we are asking our Western colleagues, who have leverage on Jabhat al-Nusra, to make the effort to discipline this structure, as far as resolution of humanitarian problems is concerned, otherwise it will be destroyed,“ Lavrov said.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) captured Iki Dam, Qudah Kuwi, Hajikanli, Hopkan, Darwish Ubasi, Diwan Al-Tahtaniyah and Mersava in the area of Afrin from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Amid reports that the YPG and the SAA have reached a deal over Afrin, Turkey has threatened to strike Syrian government forces should they enter Afrin to “provide protection” to the YPG.
“If the regime enters [Afrin] to clear out the YPG, then there is no problem. If they are entering to provide protection to the YPG, then no one can stop Turkey or Turkish soldiers,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on February 19.
On the same day reports once again appeared that, government units are set to enter the Afrin area soon. However, the situation is still unclear.
From the Jerusalem Post for what it’s worth, if Turkey confronts Syria then Iran will confront Turkey:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Conflicting-interests-Iran-confronts-Turkey-in-Syrias-Afrin-region-543202
I think this will give Turkey pause for thought; because the Turkish statement above has a big IF: IF the Syrian Govt should enter Afrin to “provide protection” to the YPG. But IF the Syrian Govt is only coming to reclaim its own territory from NATZO terrorists, then that should be alright with Turkey? (Even though Turkey is a NATZO member? And already regretting its membership?).
“Your IF is the only peacemaker” — Shakespeare
Working backwards here: Turkey invades Syria. Syria has a defense pact with Iran. Iran has legal remit to strike Turkey. Therefore, because Turkey invaded Syria, NATO has no legal foundation to attack Iran. Given that this whole thing is about Iran in the first place, I’m sure the Anglo-Zion-Mason-EU Axis of terror might be tempted to attack Iran. But let it be said that it would be entirely illegal.
This stuff is getting more dangerous by the week.
There have been a constant stream of statements claiming the SAA will be moving to assist YPG Kurds against Turkey and FSA in canton of Afrin, yet I see no evidence this will happened.
Given the arrangements made between Russia and the Turks, why would the Syrians make life difficult for their indispensible Russian allies at this critical stage, especially to satisfy the demands of US sponsered Kurdish or FSA terrorists, plus a minority of disempowered local fighters who have no choice but to ally themselves with forces sponsered by Zionists and Israel?
Meanwhile HTS was not so long ago constantly identified as a Turkish ally, yet now we are told they have nothing to say as the SAA moves to exterminate them in eastern Ghouta. If your head is spinning trying to sort out the alphabet soup of terrorist groups and who stands behind them I’m hardly surprised. The Russians have it right when they say there are only Western sponsered terrorist forces and a minoeity of locals fighting against the legitimate defenders of Syria.
But there is more to it than that, and it’s informative as to the overall nature of this conflict and how we are commonly misled. The various newsites, especially in alternative media, are creating false narratives and suggesting possible superpower confrontations, or a breakdown of alliances for example between Russia and Turkey, by scrambling letters and attempting to conceal what is actually occurring.
On one level, everyone is working together and no one wants the jihadis to come home. The war in Syria will be over when all extremists are dead or have been transported to different locations. On another level the United States, NATO, CIA, UK and Europe intend to preserve a core group of terrorists and use them to ignite new conflicts in all corners of the world, to keep everyone’s head spinning while the threat of terrorism is used to strip you of your most fundamental freedoms, with no prospect for this 100 year war ending anytime soon.
The Russians have been saying it constantly and most recently Lavrov couldn’t have made himself clearer regarding Western and US support of terrorism, and how it is used as a tool of Zionist foreign policy.
So then, why does this explanation for the origins and purpose of terrorism constantly get short shrift in so many supposedly pro Russian or pro Syrian alternative media outlets, including I’m afraid, too often Southfront which always presents information in breathless tones and without proper context?
The reason is, I believe, because it promotes fear amongst the general population and by extension, the Military Industrial Complex, including the agenda of those who wish ultimately destroy national sovereignty including especially of Russia.
For every piece of information we encounter we must always learn to ask the question whose interests are served by this story? Ask yourself now, who has an interest in causing the breakdown of cooperation between Turkey and Russia by promoting the stupid idea that Syria would confront Turkey in direct support of YPG Kurds?
It matters not that a source is superficially pro Russian because there are interests inside of that country which are only too glad to collaborate with Anglos and Zionists and as with the situation of the destruction of the Soviet Union, would be happy to repeat the process to destroy presnt day Russia if they believed it would benefit their own personal situation.
There is a struggle for power in Russia with Eurasianists battling for control against so-called Atlanticists. In fact theses Atlanticists are children of Bolsheviks and first cousins of Neoconservatism.
This is also, very unfortunately, the group which controls most supposedly pro Russian alternative media and with Russia’s enemies they conspire to strengthen the Zionist Party of War by creating a false dialectical struggle, for example providing no end of fodder for mainstream media in their campaign to prove evil Putin’s interference in the election of Trump, and as we can see, this is ultimately used in the West as an excuse to institute evermore repressive measures against freedom of speech and of consciousness, the very things these people claim to support.
There is a world war, to be sure, but just as with all major conflicts of the 20th century and now extending to the present day, this is a war by a parasitic and sociopathic element within the elite, against their enemies in ‘business’ and government plus the rest of humanity including ourselves.
We have very few champions in positions of power but the Eurasianist party inside Russia, on the one side of Putin, including I hope the Russian President himself, will only be in a position to support sanity if we learn to make these distinctions and stop allowing ourselves to be taken for fools.
The Syrians have no plans to go to war directly against Turkey, and to suggest this is an effort to setup conditions for a possible false flag that could be used as a pretext to ignite war between NATO and Russia.