by Ghassan Kadi
In an article published on the Saker titled “Kurdish Autonomy; Partition or Masterplan”, and as the unsavoury prospect of establishing an independent Kurdish state in Syria was taking form, I emphasised that this scenario is avoidable, and at worst, if it had to happen, and if all cards were played correctly, then a seemingly impending disaster could be turned around and that any potential harm could be mitigated. The first of many conditions I had put for this turn around to be successful, was that Syrian Kurds should stay under the roof of Damascus.
I warned loudly of the dire consequences of any resolution of the Kurdish issue going wrong. At the end of the day, I can only be responsible for my words, and not for how certain people may misunderstand them, or even worse, deliberately twist them to make them sound like they mean the opposite. On that note, and in hindsight, just like I warned, these Kurds should have been induced to stay under Damascus’s umbrella, and take advantage of the situation to bolster loyalty to Syria and national unity. Instead, we are now looking at a clear and present danger of having an independent Kurdish state being established under the auspices of Washington instead of Damascus.
Whether some Kurds – and not all are separatists – have been pushed into America’s nook or chose to, facts on the ground show all the signs of a would-be masterplan that has gone against, not for, the interests of Syria.
Over the last six years, each time Syria gained a new victory or came close to one, a new enemy arrived on the scene to set the war on a different course. Nothing is more despicable and transparent than the overt, uninvited and illegal entry of the USA and company on the ground in Syria. Syria and her allies were rapidly bringing ISIS to its knees and the war was coming to an end. Success after success ensued and after many unconfirmed news, recent reports emerged that Al Baghdadi has highly likely been killed by the Russian military and the mosque in Mosul where he declared his caliphate being abandoned and demolished by retreating ISIS terrorists.
At the analytical level, we need to unpack the various actions of the USA in Syria in order to make sense of their current aims, objectives and strategies, if any.
On one hand, the USA is fighting ISIS, and it is.
On another hand, the USA is helping ISIS by attacking the Syrian Army and Airforce among other things.
The USA has troops on Syrian ground, allegedly trying to fight ISIS only, but without the permission of the Syrian Government who has been fighting ISIS since its inception.
The USA is actively engaging with the Kurdish groups that they promised to assist with their separatist aspirations.
In reality however, the USA will not meet any of those above promises. America, especially Trump’s America, will only do what he deems is beneficial for America.
Much of what happens next in Syria is in the hands of Russia.
In its recent incursions inside Syria, the USA has been working on establishing difficult situations to resolve for both Syria and Russia. On the Syrian side, America is trying to add more variables to the “War on Syria” in an attempt to take Syria’s victory away, and on the other hand, the USA is trying to create a quagmire for Russia inside Syria.
America did not forget its successful strategy of bogging down the USSR in Afghanistan and how it managed to capitalise on this, including how the ensuing financial demise fuelled partly by this war crippled the USSR, enabling the USA to gain single world power status for at least three decades.
Seemingly, America is trying to turn Syria into Russia’s new Afghanistan. At the same time, America will do its best not to allow any party within Syria to score a real victory. And because America and the Syrian Government do not have any relationship with each other, America will use ISIS and the separatist Kurds to gauge its next steps. If ISIS is doing well, America will strike it, and if it isn’t, America will help it. This is America’s strategy which analytically-speaking is flawed. It is only based on creating a perpetual state of chaos and destruction that will continue to eat away at Syria.
It is patently clear that the USA has no interest to see peace established in the region and they make no attempts to conceal this fact. As has always been the case, they want destroyed, fragmented, failed states in the region with amenable, puppet rulers installed.
On the pessimistic side alone therefore, there is much to worry about. Many observers see that Syria could be on the cusp of getting fragmented and many pundits argue that the American plan to create a Kurdish state with the separatists is working.
Russia’s reluctance to engage directly against the US forces cannot be taken as a blanket reluctance to foil America’s plan and thereby allowing that plan to come to fruition. During the Cold War, America and Russia found many ways of engaging against each other indirectly, and they will probably find a way to do this in Syria without allowing the situation to escalate into an all-out confrontation between the two super powers.
But to avoid direct confrontation, both sides will need to find local allies, and if anything, the local allies of Russia are far bigger, stronger, and better prepared than those of America and this is the flipside that America does not seem to be taking into account.
To begin with, Russia can provide Syria with state-of-the-art defence and attack hardware and can train Syrian troops and allied troops to use them; and they have already done much of that. Much of such hardware, such as fighter jets, bombers, attack helicopters and tanks can only be handled by regular armies, and the USA will find it difficult to match such hardware by providing Kurdish militia with something equivalent.
Moreover, the Syrian defence coalition will not only include the Syrian Army with Russia on its side, but also Hezbollah, Iran, possibly Iraq and even Turkey.
In other words, without direct American and Russian engagement, American-backed Kurdish separatists will have a mighty coalition standing up against them, and the odds will not be in their favour.
On the other hand, if America escalates its own direct involvement as it did by downing a Syrian fighter jet recently, apart from risking a direct confrontation with Russia, it too will risk getting bogged down and end up falling into the trap that was meant for Russia.
No one knows how this will pan out and how the lines will be drawn if a major escalation were to ensue, but to conclude that Russia is giving north Eastern Syria to America and the Kurds on a silver platter is quite immature and even naïve at best. To begin with, Russia has always maintained that it will not make decisions about Syria on behalf of Syria. Secondly, when Russia decided to take action in Syria back in September 2015, that action heralded the end of the so-called ‘New World Order’ in which the USA stood as the world’s single super power. Russia cannot and will not allow the clock to be turned back and risk her initiative in Syria to be hijacked by America.
With the fight against ISIS all but over and with Qatar too busy extracting itself out of its own mess, let alone to continue with its support to fighters within Syria, any new major confrontation on Syrian soil, if it happens, will take the “War on Syria” in a totally different direction and with new allies on the ground. The Syrian Army will always be fighting for Syrian sovereignty, and the separatist Kurds are no match.
A lot will depend on which way Turkey will go, and I have always maintained that Erdogan, the Islamist with a bullish attitude, is also a nationalist, and he will never accept to have a Kurdish state south of his borders. His interests are now ironically converging with President Assad’s, and if all parties on the ground who have a good reason for opposing the creation of a separate Kurdish state, work together, the American plot will fail.
To sum up, Syria is now tragically facing the prospect of a new war, before the old one finishes, and this is all because some Kurdish separatists have decided to side with the USA against Syria’s national interests. The pilot light was lit not just at the time the afore-mentioned article was written, but much earlier on when separatist Kurds took similar wrong decisions in Iraq and other places. The reality is that at each and every occasion, Kurds are not allowed to win, and they always pay for their mistakes by way of brutal retaliation. They will soon realise that America’s nook was really a noose in disguise.
What is more tragic is the fact that the area that is already taken over by Kurdish separatists and the American supporters is a lure for a Turkish invasion. If Erdogan decides unilaterally to send troops into Syria to abort the creation of a Kurdish state south of his borders, Syria will soon have to contemplate dealing with getting rid of those Turkish troops.
Syria’s once avoidable new battle is increasingly becoming less avoidable. How and when was this allowed to get out of hand? No one really knows. What I do know is that when I saw in the re-emergence of the Kurdish question an opportunity to address this dilemma once and for all, when I made a clear warning about not allowing an impending catastrophe to turn into a missed opportunity, I said what I believed was right, and more than a year later, my conscience is clear that I did the right thing.
Armageddon cometh.
It is as plain as a crow in a bowl of milk.
hI Ghassan – great article – this sentence here –
‘…But to avoid direct confrontation, both sides will need to find local allies, and if anything, the local allies of Russia are far bigger, stronger, and better prepared than those of America and this is the flipside that America does not seem to be taking into account….”
Well, the MIC is making huge profits from arming – even the weaklings – so it continues – that’s what Trump is all about – MIC –
I’m not sure why, if Erdogan comes into Syria to fight Kurds – why Assad wouldn’t just let him – If Syrian Girl, is any voice for the intentions of the Syrian Army – which she definitely sides with – then Assad and Syrians feel that the Kurds in Syria are a pain – terrorist organization actually – and Assad might just let Turkey fight it out with them.
Well “Syrian Girl” has also admitted she hasn’t been to Syria in years and also her family were NOT Assad supporters. Of course they do support Syrian government over the alternative Wahabbi political islam. Her dribble borders on way too much fluff and glamour , no clean analysis lots of drama and finger pointing at Kurds. Seems strange coming from an Australian citizen who hasn’t been near Syria in years. Its hard to take Mimi serious but at least she does speak up.
Syrian Girl does somewhat “get it” about the Israel backed Barzani Kurdish KRG and their militia they have been preying on everyone including fellow Kurds and Assyrians. No doubt slipping into Syria.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWnsc3wkKbU
Once again a Lebanese who hasn’t been to Syria for decades, an American with remote Syrian background who evaded draft and a Swiss Australian masquerading as Syrian – run around hyperventilating that only they are Syrians. :))
I don’t understand why the Kurdish situation couldn’t be improved by giving Rojava autonomy (while continuing with Damascus) — a strong “federal” sort of autonomy. Rojava is already emulating the Swiss canton model, Assad could use it, and prevent the troubles regarding Turkey wanting to barge in, or the larger issue of a Kurdistan. True autonomy would give the separatists far less reason to separate, no?
Strategic zone in terms of oil and gas and military purposes.
There’s “autonomous Rojava” servant of free Syria, and there’s Rojava pain in the butt US war and oil proxy.
As always with separatists, the “Kurdish question” is being armed and funded on the basis of the latter.
The Americans have already demonstrated that they will act as a Kurdish air force and even if east of the Euphrates this is still a sizable chunk of Syrian territory. Erdogan is the wild card in much of this. Would he allow NATO jets to fly protection over a Kurdish state in exchange for a good sized chunk of north west Syria and other enticements? Of course Erdogan knows he is dealing with a den of vipers as to any western guarantees being a snake himself. Perhaps a stable relationship with the SCO Bloc may prove the better deal? At some point Erdogan will have to make his choice and stick to it and joining the coming Eurasian economic juggernaut and turning his back on the crumbling west may become a realization for him? Whatever the future holds we know that NATO is not finished causing mayhem death and destruction in the region
The only strong defense against NATO and her shatterbelt mentality is staying united. Kurds cannot be blamed for this division there was issues among other factions, the Kurds are strategically used by Israel, US, Syria and Russia. Once again its the outsiders that cause the division and this weakens Syria and Iraq. Those same sociopathic outsiders that are hell bent on being “correct” about everything they post on or write some silly manifesto on.
Kurdistan is not the “Kosovo” of Serbia, Serbia is divided because of its lack of unity and wasted energy on common hatred toward muslims and Turks. Serbians have so much blind hatred and anger not to mention meddling in others affairs they lost sight of the ball. The hatred they had created the balkanization, they were too busy fighting each other they didn’t fight the enemy strategically just warped and blinded hate. Making it easy for Clinton to side with the Muslims instead of the Serbians. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
Solution in Iraq is for all the groups to unite and expel the American and Israeli military occupation,dismantle the Barzani clan from Irbil, Syria or the KRG/KDP which is unfortunately recognized by many countries. Syria cannot be whole until Iraq is purged of all dividers, Barzani Clan needs to be assassinated or sent to Israel to live. They are losing money and its taken it’s toll on the Barzani KRG, there is dissent among the many Kurdish groups in Iraq that don’t care for the Barzanis and view them as worse than Erdogan.
Here is the KRG offices in Washington DC
http://www.krg.us/
Here is KRG of Iraq
http://cabinet.gov.krd/?l=12
Creating an enemy out of the Kurds in Syria isn’t the solution to Syria and not the bigger enemy that we need to fight. There are many Kurds who are proud to be Syrian Kurdish, they don’t wish to live under Barzani rule, US rule or Israel Rule. While most don’t like being Arabicized they are not alone most the ethnic groups starting with the Byzantine Greeks in Syria were Arabicized over time, this happens from years of conquest and invasions that Syria has endured. They don’t like it but do manage to retain their own ethnic culture. There is big difference from Gulf Arabs to Syrian Arabs and a tremendous difference of Turkish culture and Persian-Iranian Culture.
Kurds are Indo-European family they have Persian roots. Iranian subgroup of the Indo aryan subfamily of the Indo-European. The Iranian Kurds are very proud and have a strong sense of nationalism.
In the end the USA will leave the Kurds high and dry, they will abandon them as they always do.
The different news and independent bloggers all have slightly different takes on the Syrian Kurds and the mix of Kurds as a whole.
The Nation theorized back in February 2017 that Assad and Iran were behind the Kurds of N. Syria evicting Arabs from their homes.
” six-month investigation shows that the militia, reportedly under the strong influence of Iran and the Assad regime, has evicted Arabs from their homes at gunpoint starting in 2013 and subsequently has blown up, torched, or bulldozed their homes and villages. The Nation interviewed more than 80 Arabs and Syrian Kurdish refugees in the region as well as militia officials, former militia members, former Syrian government officials, political activists, and officials in Iraqi Kurdistan.”
https://www.thenation.com/article/have-the-syrian-kurds-committed-war-crimes/
While everyone may have a theory about the Kurds and want everyone to believe their version of the truth. The facts are in the hands of the Syrian people who know what they are doing and not going to stand back and allow a “Balkanization” under their noses without a fight. They have been at it for 6 + years.
Having the Syrian people win, and peace to Syria is far more important than declaring your theory is correct. Really who cares?
“common hatred toward muslims and Turks” ?
“Serbians have so much blind hatred and anger” ?
“meddling in others affairs”?
” The hatred they had created the balkanization”???
“too busy fighting each other ” hahaha, now this is just sad
“Making it easy for Clinton to side with the Muslims ” lmao
I have no idea why Serbia is mentioned, I am guessing the “Syrian American” works at CNN?
Serbs do not hate, and nobody wasn’t fighting anyone PRIOR to Clinton’s arrival. You got entire timeline and cause and effect upside down.
Kurds are responsible for their choices, and those sidling up to Zionist snake oil promises gets what they deserve, every time.
The US may mess up Syria for a while longer, but, the untenable conditions are facing them. Russia, Turkey and Iran all do not want and will not allow a Kurdish separation from Damascus.
And, if Damascus is patient, all its borders will come back to Syrian government control. Why? Russia wants that outcome. And Russia is going nowhere. Syria, you may say, is Russia’s southern home on the Mediterranean.
Can you imagine an insurgency that would uproot Russia from Tartus and Latakia?
Or a coalition of Arabs trying that tact?
Or the US deciding it really wants to fight a war directly in Syria?
Or the crazed IDF of Bibi attempting to take on the RF military?
So, there are three very powerful militaries with plenty of proxies of their own to use to eject the US from Syria. Russia has the Syrian Army, Iran has its militias, Quds Force and Hezbollah, and Turkey has Sunnis aplenty in various forms. The three don’t even have to put a boot of their own on the ground to chase off the US.
Every day that more ISIS die and more al Nusra die and more AQ moderates die, the US and Israel and their coalition get weaker. Destruction of ISIS and AQ mean the destruction of the Hegemon in Syria and Iraq. And, by the way, the Iraqi Army wants the US out of Iraq shortly, also.
So, the Syrian Kurds are going to be abandoned; the US plan for bases is going to go the way of al Tanf.
Daraa is the only hope for Israel and US to hold some leverage for a short time.
Cleaning out the region in the southwest border will take awhile. But the big plans for US to have airfields and bases on Syrian soil is a few missiles solved. Iran could crater the runways or Russian Kalibrs could destroy them. And anything in the north with the Kurds is Turkey’s to destroy.
Does the US want a war? It would actually have to fight it with its own troops.
Russia has already indicated that it won’t permit the US to decide anything about Syria.
The US has never been this feeble or dangerously exposed in such strategic ways.
And notice how China has moved its military in the South China Sea. How Xi reviewed the PLA troops stationed on Hong Kong. These are all signals that the Hegemon has a two-hemispheric challenge.
I expect something is brewing in Donbass that could shock NATO and the US warmongers.
Also, Pyongyang is calling Trump’s cards in North Korea.
Trump is insulting Xi and now must hope to get help from Putin to solve the problem of North Korea.
The Uroborus is devouring itself.
Russia wants federalization, such word appears in the Syrian constitution Russia decided to draft for them
It appears so, and it also is the way out of the quagmire. Silly Americans, trying to bog Russia down in a Soviet era, Afghanistan type quagmire.
Solves the Kurdish problem in Syria, in Turkey and Iraq. Brings peace and harmony to the region, and allows all three countries to move closer to the future.
My question is whether Russia would allow immigration of educated, skilled workers who flee climate change and would settle Siberia?
Federalizing Syria against its people’s will, reducing Syria to colony with international law above its national law (as oppose to Russian law which is supreme), making people eligible to be extradited to kangaroo international tribunals in Hague makes this constitution the death of sovereign Syria and anyone who advocates for it on social media a mortal enemy of Syria and political extension of ISIS.
Thank you larchmonter , for this insight.
You understand what is on stake for the Hegemon?
If Syria manages to survive as a complete and sovereign nation and with the US leaving its soil without any results , than the Iran-Iraq-Syria-Lebanon axis as part of the OBOR comes full into weight,
Consecuences :
The european gas-market will speak russian to make its orders for many many years to come.
Syria most probably will copy the Iranian policy and sell its Oil for €, Rubles, Remimbi , Rials and gold bullions. (and what cannot be sold in this currencies will be sold for $$)
Qatar as gas purveyor for the chinese market will follow this steps in the near future.
Saudi Oil in pipelines to the west will have to pay a transit fee if it goes through abovementioned territories.
The consecuence of all that is : the petrodollar will be history in the near future.
The US will have problems to find clients for their natural gas. Only some hardcore russia-haters like Poland will be clients for US-gas.
Without war in the ME , to whom the MIC will sell its overpriced toys?
The gulf states will be let hang out to dry in this situation if they don´t change rapidly their attitude towards Russia and Iran.
The Hegemon , without Petrodollars and without its MIC selling weapons will suffer a sudden death hopefully without firing a single bullet directly to him. (But he will fire all the bullets he has to try a survival)
Don’t forget the Iraqi fighters.
Iraqis whether Shia or Sunni are the most fearsist and aggressive in the entire Middle-East, to an almost suicidal level.
Ironically Iraqi Sunnis morphed from the Baathist fighters killing hundreds of Americans into ISIS where the former Iraqi military hierarchy took over parts of Syria and Iraq.
And as Shia in the Bader and Mehdi forces now morphed into the Iraqi regular army and PMU forces (which now include Sunnis) sweeping through ISIS territory.
Any power able to unite and wield the Iraqi Sunni and Shia tribes/fighters has an absoute formidable fighting force that could take down entire countries…….The Shia lead governments in Iraq had several chances to took advantage of this but due to their corruption and incompetence never took advantage of this chance. They were too busy squabbling, stealing and getting their revenge.
The Syrian people and Nation will not allow a Kurdistan to be carved out of Syria. They would probably romance it in SE Turkey. The idea and notion is ridiculous and will never happen.
Harry_Red
There is a concerned effort by Israel and US to keep Iraq in chaos and occupy the country as they have for the last 14 + years. These Iraqis you mention whether Shia or Sunni …”as being fearsist and aggressive” Where in the hell were they when America and Israel were invading and spliting the country up under their noses while at the same time destroying the ancient indigenous low hanging Christian communities? Where?
You are forgetting about the Iraqis soldiers that shed their uniforms and fled when ISIS invaded like cowards. Syria nor the entire region cannot be truly free of terrorism unless they stay united, and exterminate the US and Israel Occupation, ISIS and destroy the Barzani Kurds of Irbil from the top posts of KRG/KDP.
The “strategic chaos” in Iraq keeps the US and Israelis there longer tugging and pulling at the region. Iraqis needs to get their shit together and throw them out and unit the communities together. Syria hopefully will regain Golan Heights back and Hatay (Antioch) region of Turkey that was handed over to Turkey by France. (more outsiders causing chaos)
SyrianAmerican,
Are you comparing what happened to Iraq with Syria??
Did you forget the 1991 coalition who fought Iraq including Al Assad?? Where US troops reached the doors of Baghdad.
Did you forget 13 year embargo on Iraq, one of the harshest in modern history ??
And after all this they had to physically bomb the country several times and unleash their entire military might as a Western US coalition to physically occupy the country.
After decades of war….Iraq was in no condition to put up a fight anymore. The strongest military on the planet after destroying Iraq with the help of its neighbors and occupying it, the army decided to unleash one of the most brutal insurgencies morphying into the most evil ideologies in decades. Iraq of Saddam became a monster called ISIS, just what America (You must be proud of your name) wanted. Iraq had no Russia or anyone else as an ally, obviously this is no thanks to Saddam Hussein who was pretty crazy and trying to occupy any country he could get his hands on.
Just remember that Iraq is they key to the entire Middle-East. It was used to destroy Syria and to setup ISIS. If you cannot control and stabilize Iraq…..say goodbye to the entire Euphrates and Tigris river valleys.
“I expect something is brewing in Donbass that could shock NATO and the US warmongers. ”
Anything more concrete?
Let’s face it: Zion’s pet project for a Greater Israel from Antarctica straight up to the Pleiades is way behind schedule. The situation is so embarrassing for the banker’s Banker that, for the time being, they have muted down their rhetoric to ‘Sarin gas attack!’, ’Russia did it!’ and ‘Impeach Trump!’, three not very endearing and uplifting memes to say the least.
The Syria alliance’s success in bring an already lost Syria back on the course for full territorial integrity and sovereignty is the most amazing geopolitical success story of the last decades and is going to have repercussions on a global scale that can not be gauged and comprehended right now, but can be felt already.
Without the Syrian disaster, for example, Washington DC wouldn’t look the crumbling, third rate bordello it looks right now. Everybody is rubbing their eyes and thinking, “Am I in the wrong movie, or what? Just a moment ago, we were winning Star Wars, and now all the lights and music are gone and Noam Chomsky and Sey Hersh are discussing the ‘Kurdish question’? Someone please tell me it’s just a bad dream!”
Interesting but somehow flawed, the author is focusing only on the Kurdish issue and forgets the role of Israel becoming more and more obvious. Since the terrorists are being on retreat for the last months, Israel is suddenly coming out “defending” itself by attacking the Syrian army and thereby helping the terrorists.
That’s the very point I was thinking about. Somehow the author forgot to mention the main actor and cause of the Syrian tragedy: the Jewish state. This is not to get the US off the hook – they are in it as deeply – but the main drive for the neocon’s NWO is the twin evils of capitalism and Zionism, the two sizes of the same coin.
And the question about the author’s lapse (who supposedly is an expert on this issue): Was it intended?
Is it so bad if the Kurds carve out a statelet in Syria? Sure the USA will try and use it like it does Kosovo. But at least it won’t be Wahhabi crazed fanatics.
Furthermore it will infuriate Erdogan and Turkish nationalists and neo-Ottomans. This would give Uncle Sam a headache in terms of conflict with a NATO (though increasingly wayward) ally. It would push Turkey further into seeing the Syrian govt. as an “enemy of my enemy” friend.
A Kurdish independent state would weaken Syria. But it wouldn’t threaten it like the Wahhabi nutcases have. The question is where exactly are the oil fields in northeast Syria and how would they be split if current border of SDF forces were held?
The view from Oz seems to be upside down. “Rape is inevitable, just lie down and enjoy it; at least it won’t be Wahhabi crazed fanatics.” I think some people in Five Eyes still suffer from a colonial mentality, “Massa say, we do”. A US-controlled so-called “independent Kurdistan” would be worse than ISIS – because it would be run not by proxies but by Anglo Capitalists directly. Just look at the harm that has already been done to the ME by Israel and its ally KSA – those two directly-supported ethno-centric religiously-fanatic implants of Anglo Zio Capitalism. To allow Anglo Capitalist armies to impose their Kurdistan oil state on “Syraq” would be to infect the face of the ME with its third running sore.
Well said and a deserved shot at Aussie Peter – sometimes he misses the forest for the trees. It would be nice – and more matey – though if you could drop the title bit.
Southfront now posting Erdogan pulling together 7000-20000 to go into north east Syria against Kurds ….
Some of the Kurds have been aligned with ISIS from day 1. There are videos of Kurds allowing ISIS (to be) convoys through their checkpoints. Some Kurds actually joined ISIS. The Kurds in the north west quadrant of Aleppo city gave refuge to the ‘carefully vetted moderate rebels’ at various points. Unlike the rest of the city, that area seemed to escape significant damage from the CVMRs. The Barzani Kurds facilitated the looting of Syrian oil by ISIS, their main funding channel. The Kurds in the east of SYria have been ethnically cleansing the various Arab towns and cities that come under their control. There were major clashes at al Qamishli when they tried that there.
Some of the Kurds have definitely chosen to align with the US, possibly under encouragement of Israeli Kurds residing in Israel.
“On one hand, the USA is fighting ISIS, and it is.”
The US is only fighting ISIS where it can transfer ISIS territory to one of its other more acceptable brands of terrorists.
Those are Israel back Kurds from Irbil, Iraq from the Barzani clan leadership. They also helped to attack their own fellow Kurds (Yazidi) in Sinjar and NE Syria. As well as their Militant Assyrians in their army that want an Assyria next to Barzani’s Kurdistan they have brutalized their own fellow Assyrians from Sinjar clearing the path into NE Syria. These Assyrians in the KRG-KDP military care less about their fellow Assyrians they also helped to kidnap them in NE Syria . SDF and YPG in Syria …are they all Syrian Kurds or some infiltration from Iraq KDP (KRG Kurds) with mix of outsiders tugging pulling at the different factions?
Its a known fact that the Chaldean Assyrians and ACOE (Assyrian Church of the East) / Syriacs do not get along. Bitter and brutal enemies over a split in the church.
One Assyrian Chaldean who hails from Irbil, Iraq proudly tells me that his family years ago saved Barzani’s grandfather and they have been close ever since. They inform me that Syria is done, Assad is evil, Iran is Evil and Israel is their friend.
“Slob” and “Paulie” are listening to half the stories and not the entire picture of the equation. This is not good geopolitical research not knowing the history or political status of the many groups. Its flawed and biased information, Good thing Syrian Intelligence has smart people that work with these different groups on the ground.
Kurds working with the SAA against ISIS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUHNVa0QoWU
Kurdish Forces and SAA (Syrian Arab Army ) in Lattakia help evacuate Alawites
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xumm66rDvmo
Thanks again Ghassan!
You forgot to mention the (in-all-but-name) Russian NFZ.which US hasn’t and doubtfully will breach, that is probably the greatest disadvantage for any US (“israeli”) schemes in Syria since US almost only relies on cowardly attacks on civilian and Syrian army infrastructures from jet fighters.
Than NFZ could of course be expanded according to SAA’s advances. It should also apply to ziowhahhabi attacks from occupied Golan but we don’t know that yet since Schlomo hasn’t tried.
The US gave known terrorists in Northern Syria illegal cluster munitions and white phosphorus to be used in Raqqah. Provided so that the known terrorists in Northern Syria could ethnically cleanse the secular Arab population there? Weren’t these banned munitions then used by known terrorists against the secular Arab population in Raqqah? used to ensure that the secular Arab people either fled the region or were killed if they stayed, to rid Raqqah of secular Arabs who supported Assad? after all the Kurdish vote to secede requires hundreds of thousands of secular Arabs to be removed so they cant vote, and then the Kurds can claim that any future plebiscite is democratic, the will of the people.
The US gave fascist supporters of Stepan Bandera illegal cluster munitions and white phosphorous in Ukraine to be used in the Donbass to ensure the removal of ethnic Russian voters there. This was to ensure that the voters who supported the legally elected government in Ukraine could no longer vote hence a pro Russian government could never be returned to Ukraine.
The series of articles by the author written upon Kurdish Manifesto in 2015 and Federalization Declaration in 2016 as well as interview article given to Sputnik as I said before commenting them were nothing but a wishful thinking about “Greater Syria” and whitewashing of what separatist Kurds already done.
Please, remember that the above series of articles by author appeared a year after the notorious, CIA written Kurdish manifesto (links below) and shortly after separatist Kurdish Federalization declaration which was illegal unconstitutional act.
I found at the time these articles as very dangerous and wrong, since, instead of strong condemning of Kurdish Manifesto and Kurdish Federalization declaration, author offered some pink theories about silver lining and golden opportunity to create Greater Syria out of these separatist moves.
We now see same author in this article, whitewashing himself, accusing others for misunderstanding him, and attempt to negate authors previously written articles and clearly presented stances.
In addition I have nothing to add here than to copy/ paste my own words of critics written as critics of previous, mentioned articles by the author. Readers could check my words against today’s reality and decide for themselves.
Unlike the author who changes his stance as wind blows, I am consistent in my opinion, so my words written 18 months ago still hold the water:
/syrian-turkish-border-security-check-point-taurus/#comment-223477
===================================
Slobodan on March 28, 2016 · at 5:07 pm UTC
With due respect but this option No. 4 of “silver lining” is nothing but a wishful thinking. Comparing Crimea with this situation is not applicable- Crimea after the referendum decided to join mighty Russia. Who on Earth could object it and try to prevent it by force? To start a war with Russia because of Crimea? It would be an absurd.
But whatever this “wishful thinking” about Kurds in the historical northern borders of Syria suggests, it is also an absurd that Turkey, which is military mighty country, would peacefully look at such decision of Kurds south of the Taurus Mountains. Erdogan, or whoever be the Turkish leader would immediately launch a war of the huge proportions to keep the status quo of the current Turkish southern borders. This war would for sure engulf entire Syria and could probably drag in other countries too.
So naming the Kurdish federalization declaration as “silver lining” which would eventually motivate Kurds in Turkey to wish the status of Syrian Kurds and proactively work on it, is a warmongering yell with unforeseeable consequences, and it is for sure that Syria would be the first on the list of “collateral damages”. Syrian support of that concept in order to gain benefits of her “historical” northern borders is out of question because it would drag Syria and entire region in the bloody war with disastrous consequences.
Besides, mentioned controversial article and this interview are full of words “IF” and “eventually”, which meas that even author sees clear limits and obstacles to such “silver lining” objective. Proposed silver lining path is actually walk over the blade of the knife both for Syrian Kurds and Syria as well. In such game of the high stakes everybody will lose everything in the long sustainable war which would burn to the ground Levant and the whole Middle East. Contrary to the wishful thinking in the article,this is cruel reality.
Expecting that Kurds after the years of fight against Turkey and Daesh after recognition of their federal status in Syria and eventual union with other Kurdish entities will remain within the Grand Syria historical borders, instead of creating independent state, ripping apart Syria, and Turkey and other territories is at least – naive.
Imagine even for a moment that proposed platform for Kurdish political and military movement is successful and Kurds southern of Taurus mountains manage to get rid of Turkish grip, and even after so many casualties are willing to join Syrian Kurds under Syrian flag (which is unimaginable) and to recognize government in Damascus- what kind of Syria would it be? When Syria with 20 millions of Syrians re-claim historical lands and accepting 30 millions of Kurds and become the minority in own homeland? I find it ultimately unrealistic since Syrians are those who are to be asked about own future.
What Syrians think about this was best exposed by President Assad:
STOP “FEDERALIZATION” (INTERNAL PARTITION) IN SYRIA
President Assad just came out loud and clear against “federalization” in Syria, addressing the ‘inconvenient fact’ that Kurds are outnumbered by Arabs in their own self-proclaimed “federalized” (internally partitioned) statelet:
“Earlier in the day, a group of French lawmakers met with Assad in Damascus during their visit to the Middle East country.
“[Assad] emphasized that Syria is a small country and too small for implementing an idea of federalization, also due to the fact, that all communities are linked and closely woven together,” Nicolas Dhuicq said.
He added that Assad believed Syrian Kurds’ bid for federalization was a bad idea.
“He mentioned Kurds and the fact that they talk about federalization. To his mind, it will not be a good idea, especially, concerning the Arab population in the area. He said that in Syrian regions with Kurds population, Kurds, actually, represent only 30 percent of the population, so they will be a minority on their own territory,”
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160327/1037042472/assad-syria-federalization.html?utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F&utm_medium=short_url&utm_content=aUT7&utm_campaign=URL_shortening
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160317/1036481779/security-kurds-region.html
There is another fact that we must not overlook and forgotten: the Kurdish “federalization” declaration and Kurdish manifest of Democratic Syria” are nothing else than CIA written pamphlet served to Kurds in order to prepare Kurds to be the next USA proxy army in the region, once Daesh is defeated and US/Turkish / Saudi support for Daesh is so badly exposed.
If it is not so clear what are real intentions of Syrian Kurds let me remind you on hte manifest published in 2015 called “The Project of a Democratic Syria” by the “Movement for a Democratic Society, Rojava/Northern Syria”
Despite nice name this is the hatred filled pamphlet showing the reality and intentions of at least part of Syrian Kurds supported heavily by US intelligence services and US establishment.
The manifesto and Federalization declaration are noting but American plan B for the Middle East and in such light mentioned “silver lining” not only a dream and wishful thinking but it is also counter productive as the idea which actually stays in line with USA and it’s allies plans of partitioning Syria and redrawing the borders of the Middle East and as such it is very dangerous for the future of Syria.
The best analysis of this manifest was written by Andrew Korybko in his 3-part article published in Katheon:
http://katehon.com/article/kurds-hate-filled-federalization-manifesto-part-i
http://katehon.com/article/kurds-hate-filled-federalization-manifesto-part-ii
http://katehon.com/article/kurds-hate-filled-federalization-manifesto-part-iii
At the end I would like to underline also the official Moscow stance: Moscow will support any decision or political approach which is the actual wish and decision made by Syrian people. This also includes recognizing of Syrian Constitution and laws, as well as the two decision of the UNSC about Syria.
https://www.rt.com/news/335384-syria-ceasefire-federalization-partition/
Katehon is hardly any sort of analysis for the area in N. Syria and the Kurdish question. The writer Andrew has never been to Syria and has no inside information from reliable sources. He is American with no connections on the ground in Syria or much less in Russia. He may try to pass himself off as some sort of Geopolitical expert but no one that matters in Russia or Syria is listening to his insignificant ranting. Now Dr.Filip Kovacavic maybe, he gets it and understands the area and is one of the top Geopolitical Professors that can speak Russian fluently.
Back to these comments regarding Rojava/Northern Syria, The only hatred i read is from non-Syrians that have absolutely nothing to do with the situation in Syria but seem to think their two cents are warranted or welcomed. Even more comical is the way they insignificantly try to propagate themselves as some sort of expert when they have no knowledge of the 20 or so different Kurdish political groups.
None of you are addressing the true elephant in the room which is making the Kurds as the scapegoat. There is many factions of Kurds, and many are very loyal to the Syrian Arab Army and still others are very loyal to Russia. There is ample proof that many of the militants invading via NE Syria are actually coming from the Irbil based – Israel backed militants of the KDP/KRG which also have a troops of Assyrian descent that are 100% supportive of Israel, and anti-Syrian & Iranian.
They have had a master plan for a Kurdistan & Assyria since before the invasion of Iraq and were in fact the very people that testified against Saddam in a sham trial that resulted in Saddam being executed by hanging. They claimed Saddam gassed them used chemical weapons on their families but hid behind a screen to testify (sound familiar?) Israel has been working with this region for over 20 years, Its been the greater Israel plan with the Barzani clan to create a Kurdistan in oil rich N. Iraq. The IDF has been based in Irbil since at least 2000 long before the invasion and following occupation of Iraq.
If these non Syrian writers actually knew anything about the area they would know that most Kurds do not follow Barzani. Especially the Syrian Kurds, their loyalty and kinship is more closely aligned with the Kurds of SE Turkey who make up the majority of the 40 million kurds. Making the scapegoat the Kurds is not only dangerous to strategies but its mindblowing that anti-Barzani Kurds would even dare to partner with Israel -backed Barzani.
How many have invaded via the NE Syrian corridor to wreck havoc on fellow Assyrians and Kurds? One only has to look at the Sinjar and Mosul areas, remember the brutality of Yazidi Kurds and Assyrians by this faction to understand they are driven to achieve a fantasyland Kurdistan and Assyria. The bootlegging of Iraq and Syrian Oil was in fact stopped by the PKK Kurds of Turkey who not only reported the route the KDP Kurds/Assyrians were taking to the Russians but bombed the pipelines costing KDP and Azerbaijan some $14 million a day in damages.
If you compare this with the more Russian supported Kurds of SE Turkey or the HDP who more closely follow the teachings of Abdullah Ocalan and have very little commonality with the KRG/KDP Kurds one would understand that their goal is to have autonomy IN SE Turkey. These Kurds are what Erdogan fears most as such most of their leaders have been jailed (Attorney Dermitas) or assassinated. They had representatives in the Turkish Parliament of Assyrian, Kurdish and Armenian background. Erdogan has rendered the HDP as insignificant, his fear is Kurdstan carved out of Turkey, but wouldn’t care about a Syria / Iraq carving up. As Turkey Ceylan/Tanap pipeline has the contracts from the Barzani clan as the main conduct for oil to the port of Ceyhan.
Lastly, why did the IDF round up the leader of the majority of Kurds (Abdullah Ocalan)1999 in Africa then return him to Turkey where he has since been imprisoned. The drive to lump all Kurds together under the leadership of Barzani was a failure. Significant things will happen soon, its rumored that pro Syrian Ocalan will be “released” from prison. One thing that is apparent to Israel, USA, Russia and Syria is that the Kurds do play important pieces to the puzzle. Not so much for their power in numbers but they are keen guerrilla fighters each and every Kurd will fight. Including most of their woman who are taught at an early age to handle a gun.
Carving a “Kurdistan” or an “Assyria” out of Syria is not an option for the Syrian people and never will be, there are over 20 ethnicities in Syria with over 12 Sects that would deserve the same. This is not now or ever an option, no matter how much Israel and USA push for a oil route from Irbil due west to Iskandar port of Ceyhan where the Turkish Oil Tankers reside for routes to mostly eastern Europe and the ports established by NATO in Croatia, Montenegro and other fake carved up shatterbelt countries of the Balkans. This was to cut into Russia’s Gazprom oil importing to Europe by 20%.
The long historical relationship between the PKK (Ocalan), Assads, Syrian Intelligence dates back to 1979 when the Muslim Brotherhood had conflicts with the Syrian Government. The amount of support by the Syrian Government to the Kurds who established bases and conferences in Syria is long standing. If one doesn’t understand the history of the Kurds, their fragmentation, their alliances or their clans they cannot understand the complexity of this large significant group that seems to get used by every faction then thrown to the curb. This article may help the amateur writer understand the historical significance of the Kurds and what part they play or don’t play. One cannot blame him for not knowing in 1979 he was even born yet, in 1999 when Ocalan was captured he probably was just reaching puberty. The poster is Serbian he was probably too busy fighting the NATO invasion and shatterbelting of his homeland, he has sell outs to thank for that and the Clinton Administration that flooded the area with Turks trying to Islamicize the area. Comparing Syria to Serbia is oxymoronish.
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentary/565108-the-pkk-assad-regime-story-harmony-discord-and-ocalan
Letter from Ocalan in Prison to the Assyrian people
http://www.assyrianvoice.net/forum/index.php?topic=45035.0
Israel involvement with Ocalan capture
http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,20031,00.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/01/turkey-pm-kurdish-prisoner-peace
Thank you for your post and your refreshing view.
It’s so true that there are too many “thinkers/analysts” out there who follow the “ZBig chess-board/mechanical approach” to analysis: If we move A, then B….
When that fails to materialize, then it’s always “Hey, you interpreted my words wrong.”
@SyrianAmerican: How your words deny or oppose my comment and facts, written above? A good portion of your comment actually confirmed (with different wording) what I wrote.
And at what point and assumption I was wrong? Instead repeating, already known rhetoric to me (and many others) which derogate and dismiss any – non Syrian person commenting “Syrian issues” as outsiders who have nothing to say, it would be nice to point the word, sentence or part of my text which was wrong assumption and was not materialized in reality so far. That would be constructive and helpful, but also – the hard goal. What I wrote are the facts. Some of them were my predictions and assessments, which materialized in the last 18 months and became the facts. It is hard to fight against naked truth and bare fact, isn’t it?
I made direct, factual comments in my 2016 critics, which materialized until now, and I made factual comments today here. Instead of a long “educational” text which curtains the reality in the field, I challenge you and others to disproof any , at least single of my words as not factual and materialized in the field.
It is the author of this article himself who these days claims – ” Hey you misinterpreted my words, I never said or thought that!I just wanted to use Kurds wisely to achieve “greater Syria in her historical borders”!
Besides, you can use your real name signing your comments here, your writing style and some details you wrote clearly identifies you without doubts :)
Cheers.
Once again the namecalling.
The carve-up of Syria has always been the Hegemon’s plan B. The Hegemon barely hides this. It’s a long-standing strategy for the Hegemon. Any country that does not accept vassalage within the New World Order system is forced to its knees. If that becomes complicated, neutralization via carve-up and chaos is an acceptable and in some ways a very desirable outcome for such a situation.
The writers on this blog, like to pretend that they do not see Russia’s complicity in the Hegemon’s drive towards global rule. Yes, for sure, Russia does face an enemy in the Hegemon which is difficult to confront openly, or at all. The Hegemon is implacable and ruthless and will go to any lengths to assert its will. Russia knows that any confrontation can escalate to all out war and even to nuclear war. In some ways Russia plays a very sane game by consistently avoiding direct confrontation with the Hegemon. Putin must walk a tightrope.
But Putin claims over and over again that Russia has no stake whatsoever in the outcome of the war in Syria, apart from stopping terrorists, pure and simple. Of course this is blazing nonsense. The war in Syria is a proxy war. The Hegemon seeks to consolidate its absolute global power while also establishing a stepping stone towards the bigger prize, Iran, itself intended to be a stepping stone for the Hegemon toward Russia and China. This is the real “Domino” strategy, not the fake one from years ago. Part of the reason Syria is engulfed in war is Russia. Russia knows this.
But of course Russia is playing a double game. Putin’s claim to global fame and support is his strongly taken stance against the Hegemon’s grab for absolute global power. This stand has made Putin a rallying figure globally. That’s on one hand. Putin’s other hand is that of a deal maker. He wants power and cash for Russia and – it would seem – for himself and his cronies no doubt. Putin and Russia want in on the Hegemon’s game. You can see this in the way Putin has dealt with Russia’s allies. His best friends amongst the global ‘leaders’ seem to be dark Hegemon collaborators, such as Erdogan, Netanyahu, Temer. Those who actually oppose the Hegemon are given short shrift. Iran was allowed to twist on the bayonet of false accusations for years. Defensive equipment which would have alleviated Iran’s predicament of being constantly under threat of war was promised but denied. Later, Quaddafi was destroyed with Russia’s blessing. Of course Russia pretended they had no idea what the Hegemon would do once it got the UN mandate/pretext for war in Libya! That was some absurd kabuki, right?
No sooner was Libya destroyed than the Hegemon turned to Syria. This too was quite predictable. Did Russia prepare Syria for the war it knew was coming. Nope. Did Russia do anything as Syria was slowly crushed by one outsider hammer blow after another? Nope. What did Russia do? It jumped into the Syria war at just the point where Assad was about to lose entirely. Russia’s long awaited help quickly turned the war around, but ole Putin had another card up his sleeve: every time it looked like the tide of the war was turning decisively in Assad’s favor, Putin declared peace. Each time Putin declared peace, the opposition rearmed (thank you Hegemon) , made a new strategy (thank you Hegemon) and struck again. Each time, also, the US and Turkey and Israel stepped into the war more directly and more decisively. Each time Assad’s momentum was blunted and other actors began to establish areas of control in Syria, primarily Turkey, the US and Israel.
Russia’s strategy is too obvious to miss. It offers support to allies, but too little and too late to save them. It offers just enough ‘help’ to put itself in the position of power broker. We see this with other countries too. Venezuela, for example, has received just enough help from Russia such that Venezuela’s oil will fall into Russia’s control once Maduro’s government goes down in flames. Ah Putin. He really is a clever one.
Back to Syria: now there is no way to push any of the outside actors out. Assad’s army, never that strong, is far too weak after years of war. Iran doesn’t have the power to lend to Syria and dares not involve itself in Syria much more deeply. Hezbollah must concern itself with defending Lebanon against Israel. Russia openly connives with Turkey and less openly connives with the US and Israel. The carve-up of Syria is now basically a fait accomplis. Russia will get bases. some sort of pipeline deal and possibly even Assad’s rump state as a vassal. Turkey will get a big northern chunk. The US will get a bigger northeast – nominally Kurdish – chunk. Israel will get another big bite in the Golan Heights area and a big voice in Syria’s future, starting with Hezbollah’s and Iran’s forced withdrawal.
In the end, Russia will have kneeled to the Hegemon and accepted vassalage, but under what Putin and Russia will consider to be advantageous terms.
The endgame will be set in motion when Putin and Trump meet. WW3 will have been avoided, via the wisdom of Putin and Trump, and the New World Order will be nearly a fait accomplis, but with some less troublesome name. Let’s call it The Multipolar World, even though it’s not and won’t be.
Yes I suppose we are naive in that we think that there could be a better future for humanity than the global fascist rule of the Hegemon. Perhaps the ‘adults in the room’ really are the ones who are more than willing to Kneel for a Deal.
Enjoy the good life Vladimir. Maybe the Hegemon won’t decide to punish you, when the dust settles, for daring to be a bump in its road to global rule. Such cheek! Perhaps in the end the Hegemon will find Russia’s seemingly oppositional shenanigans more entertaining than annoying.
Very good analysis, very accurately explained, and very heartbreaking for all the wishful thinkers in the Alt-mainstream media.
But that is the cruel, cold reality everyone have to face with. Once we abandon our emotions, and believes and use cold minded logic, we have to face it just as you explained.
I had to laugh at this comment
“Andrew Korybko, on the other hand, does not play footsie with cabalist-imperialists because be understands the demoniac nature of the artificial ‘Kurd’ nation, as conceived in a zionist ‘think-tank’ somewhere near you.
The Kurdish ‘nation’ is an AZ project to create a new kind of collective which is properly referred to as satanic. Read the three-parter below and you will understand.”
Seriously some kid from Ohio thinks his manifesto is some sort of work of art? In reality this has no bearing on the Syrian people we care less about these “opinions” from people who have no knowledge of the history of the area. No one understands the ramifications of a kurdistan more than the Syrian people. The kid from Ohio is a graduate student in Russia, he certainly hasn’t earned his stripes anywhere in Syria, Russia or the USA as being a thought leader. Not in this decade anyway, he is getting a bit too full of himself. The Russians need to adjust his attitude a bit. perhaps swat him away like the annoying ant that he is.
Andrew’s thesis is flawed and biased – then Slob comes in to sniff it and puff it up as legitimate. Oh and Alexander Dugin has no bearing on Syria much less the Russian people his philosophy isn’t embraced in Russia except with the revival of the bigoted Bolsheviks who are nothing more than the Russian version of the Grey Wolves. He is not a trusted advisor to Putin, he is just another Russian with an ethnocentric approach.
Garry Kasparov for that matter has more brains and clout with Russians than Dugin has. Ghassan’s logic regarding the strategies that Russia could be taking to kick the door in for a Kurdistan in SE Turkey is very plausible. The fact that Russia has 2 military bases in the Armenian proper and in Nargano -Karabakh (Artskah) there is a long term goal with older Anatolia lands that bump up to Armenia. Hence the reason Erdogan and the Turkish military have thrashed these areas in SE Turkey scattering the Kurdish populations and drowning out the HDP party. This is an ongoing narrative, and not going away anytime soon. Assad could very easily be playing along with this as he understands the end game. Perhaps the reason he doesn’t get his underwear in a bunch about a “federalization” pipe dream as these non Syrians do.
This person that uses lewd language is making a straw-man quote:
“The Kurdish ‘nation’ is an AZ project to create a new kind of collective which is properly referred to as satanic. ”
Nobody said that.
As for Ohio, that is the new center where many pro-Russian experts revered by many come from. Same with Virginia. Those centrally positioned states is where fresh blood and new strength come from, as oppose to entirely decayed west coast, for example, full of lonely infertile women and male pervs
I wish it were otherwise, but your analysis here comes the closest to reality on the ground that I have so far seen.
“Putin’s [..] He wants power and cash for Russia and – it would seem – for himself and his cronies no doubt.”
Yawn.
This comment follows the rule that to set forth an agenda, you must first propagate the most outrageous back story.
Russia no more wants US hegemony than it wants to rule the world. Putin is remarkably honest when it suits his purpose. He said, “what do I need more land for? I can fly to NY faster than I can to most of Russia?”
Putin wants a stable US, aligned with the clear thinking of DJT who wants to pull empire in to reasonable limits, and he wants stable nations surrounding it.
Russia needs the best and brightest. If anything, I think Putin’s hidden agenda might be to encourage those with smarts and morals to visit, to stay, and to become a part of the future.
How is the hegemon going to force Russia to kneel to accept a deal?
The hegemon’s greatest weakness is that it’s run by retarded extroverts, who have the perfect strategy to expend an infinite amount of resources to achieve nothing; because:
They’re too busy powning Uncle Sam’s Ass!
http://chuckspinney.blogspot.ca/p/flush-with-cash-running-on-empty-series.html
Reply to paul on July 03, 2017 · at 11:59 am UTC
/syrias-once-avoidable-new-battle/#comment-373722.
Every cloud has a silver lining (après la pluie, vient le beau temps) : Christoph Hörstel to the Syrian People: We want to apologize ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgm2ijVuWac Published on Jun 21, 2017 Christoph Hörstel, Federal Chairman of the new political force in Germany: The “German Center” offers his respectful greetings to President Bashar al-Assad, the legitimate president of the Syrian Arabic Republic and to the dear Syrian people. He expresses feelings of friendship, peace, and hope towards the Syrian people. Hörstel offers friendly help, together with friends in Russia and Iran, to promote peace in Syria and in the region as a whole, to pave the way for the reconstruction of Syria to help millions of refugees to return home in safety, security, well-being, and dignity. I found this here : https://syrianperspective.com/2017/06/isis-nihilists-destroy-iconic-mosul-mosque-syrian-army-enters-east-dayr-el-zor-saa-crushes-nusra-zionist-attack-on-golan-saa-separates-east-derah-from-the-west.html.
All the best from TMWNS
@ Paul
Your comment – almost an article itself – touches many of the issues some among us have suspected that not all seems as the Kremlin pretends, namely the prevarications and lack of transparency and resolve behind the Russian involvement in the Syrian tragedy. You raise the right questions some of us have hushed up because opinions against the established trend are seldom allowed. One thing is certain though if we look realistically at the essential parameters of the conflict: any country courageous enough to assert its independence is destabilized or destroyed. Russia was brought to its knees and was effectively transformed into a puppet state and its institutions brought under US control. Even its constitution was soiled with the fingerprints of American advisers and consultants led by NED and other NGOs. The last insult came from the US senate when it brazenly discussed the necessity of a new constitution for Russia ” freed from its Communist past”.
Yet Russia refuses to accept the reality of US imperialism, believing instead in the remote possibility that the dollar imperialism may be amenable to an honest dialogue and diplomacy without even asking the hard question: what right on earth does the US have to intervene in the affairs of other countries? Why does Russia engage in lengthly negotiations or enters into agreements with a country that does not respect international law and the rules of comity among nations? Such country should be treated, as a pariah, with the utmost contempt by all clear-thinking people. Instead of pussy-footing around the real issues at stake for humanity as a whole, Russia would raise admirably in respect and stature all round the world if it declared openly that it won’t have any dealings with the criminals running the US.
@anonymous to Paul
Not possible, as long as power determines everything. Besides… you think the people running other countries have clean hands? Think again.
Paul, that rings true. But when the various soothsayers predicted years ago the Hegemon’s struggle to deepen and maintain worldwide dominance, they also predicted that in the end, it will lose. Too many forces out there against it, too many internal contradictions… and if the other players harmonize their strategy against it, the Hegemon will weaken more and more… maybe multipolar has a chance?
@How and when was this allowed to get out of hand? No one really knows.
I think that is little mystery. The creation of Kurdistan as a second Israel is a project of Israel since at least the 80s.
While I support Syrian rule in eastern Syria, there are sufficient reasons to expect further complications and intrigues there.
The hypothetical Kurdish Pipelinestan is fraught with problems from the outset. No neighboring states want a Kurdish state. If they all blockade the Kurds, do Washington leaders expect to export all necessary commodities by airlift?
The prime actor, though as always, obsessive about keeping to the shadows, as a standard operating procedure, is becoming more and more clear as the Kurdish issue continues to evolve.
Clearly promises were made for part of Iraqi territory.
Were the promises a larger territory, spanning Syria and Turkey?
Don’t be surprised to see the Kurds armed well-beyond anything that has been suspected, and aggressively supported.
Finally, latest update:
“… There are 3 hot zones in Syria at the moment, and all of them are deep in action and gains for the Syrian Government, which it continues to downplay its victories as it has been doing for the past 2-3 months.”
Suweida. Eastern Damascus.
“… An operation is on going to wipe clean the US backed terrorists from all the villages in Suweida and eastern Dasmacus, which basically mean the US backed terrorists will be pushed back to the empty desert area in Damascus and Homs Province by the Jordanian border, literally a place without a single water well.
Soon we will hear more news of liberation of the hills north of the cauldron, which in fact will create a pressure toward the US backed terrorists in a form of a pocket. The operation here is mostly led by NDF.”
Northeastern Hama. Central Homs.
“… We all heard of the Desert Hawks operations near Salamiyah-Ithriyah road, what we are not hearing is the 5th Corps and other groups attacking from west and south of the cauldron. With the Ihtriyah-Resafa road under the SAA control, ISIS found itself in a cauldron with a 50 kms mouth, soon this mouth will be reduced and the pressure will increase inside the cauldron.
This situation will be a “deja vu” of Dayr Hafer, Maskaneh, Eastern Khanaser, etc.”
T3 – T2. Sukhanah.
“… Daily operations ongoing with unreported daily advances, the battle here is for the roads to Der ez Zor, though the main PR is for Humaymah village, T2 and al Bukamal. Rest assured the 5th Corps, Hizballah and the Iraq militias are deep in the desert and raiding all water wells and reservoirs out there, the forces are much closer to Der ez Zor than reported in any map, as in any desert war it is impossible to pin point location, but the SAA and allies are not 100kms from Der ez Zor, they are closer.
Advances toward Sukhanah has been downplayed as well, there are advances toward the mountain area, al Hail gas fields and on the road.”
Where Are The Tiger Forces?
“… where are the Tiger Forces heading, after weeks of Resafa campaign, the Tiger Forces vanished. The small Tiger Force group moving east to Ihtriyah was the Qomhama Tiger Forces group, in its way back the northern Hama, they took the chance to clear the road and head back home, but the larger Tiger Forces are out there somewhere, and it is not reported anywhere.”
False flag;
A Syrian rebel group has accused the Syrian army of using chlorine gas against its fighters in battles east of Damascus, after Donald Trump warned Bashar al-Assad’s regime that it would “pay a heavy price” if it launched another chemical attack.
The Failaq al-Rahman group has said more than 30 people suffocated as a result of the assault in Ain Tarma in the Eastern Ghouta region, which Mr Assad’s forces have been fighting to take back from insurgents.
In a statement circulated by state-run media, a military source said the Syrian army command completely denied the accusation that it used chemical weapons: “It has not used any chemical weapons in the past, and will not use them at any time”.
Empire Uses Kurds as Pawns in its Imperial Pursuits in Syria
https://sarahabed.com/2017/03/08/empire-uses-kurds-as-pawns-in-its-imperial-pursuits-in-syria/
“Treatment of non-Kurds by the minority Kurd population in Al Hasaka (also referred to as Hasaka) governorate is unethical and criminal.
The minority Kurd population in Qamishly treats the majority non-Kurd population poorly. They are trying to impose their will on everyone by force. They pretty much have the Hasaka governorate under their control and those that oppose them are usually driven out of their homes. They are monopolizing everything for themselves trying to maintain self-Governance. They are placing unqualified people in positions of power, there is no law whatsoever to control the area. They are willing to take anyone who agrees to fight with them, even if they are criminals they get them out of jail immediately so that they can grow their army. PKK fighters were brought into Syria from the Qandil Mountains in Turkey and made managers and heads of institutions in the Hasaka governorate. They are very authoritative and Syrians fear them. Kurds differentiate and provide better treatment to the Yazidi and Kurds that are displaced in Syrian than the Syrian Arabs. All passages from Turkey and North Iraq are under Kurdish control.”
See also:
U.S. Coalition Cleansing Raqqa Of Arabs To Expand Kurdish “Autonomous Region”
https://sarahabed.com/2017/06/23/u-s-coalition-cleansing-raqqa-of-arabs-to-expand-kurdish-autonomous-region/
“The SDF announced months ago that control of Raqqa following Daesh’s ouster would be given to an autonomous “council,” not the Syrian government, and that it would soon become part of the Kurdish autonomous region that it borders. As MintPress previously reported, keeping Raqqa out of Syrian government control plays right into the hands of U.S. and Israeli geopolitical interests, which have long been pushing for a partitioned Syria.
However, this plan has at least one major obstacle – the population of Raqqa itself. Raqqa has historically been populated by an Arab majority. As journalist Andrew Korybko notes, it is highly unlikely that any Arab, or non-Kurd for that matter, living in Raqqa would freely choose to live in a “Kurdish-dominated statelet” as a second-class citizen instead of choosing to instead have equal standing within the Syrian Arab Republic.
The presence of Raqqa’s pre-siege population would essentially prevent the annexation of Raqqa into the Kurdish autonomous region. But if the vast majority of Raqqa’s population were forced to leave, or were killed, the whole operation would become much more feasible.
That is exactly what is happening. Just within the first week of the coalition’s operation to take Raqqa, at least 300 civilians were killed, while many speculate that the actual figure is much higher. The loss of life has largely been due to the coalition’s indiscriminate bombings of the area and its use of chemical weapons, particularly white phosphorus. These bombings and the coalition use of chemical weapons have also forced 160,000 civilians to flee Raqqa. Thus, in just one week, Raqqa lost the vast majority of its population, which prior to the conflict in Syria stood at around 220,000.”
Dear Vot Tak;
Something in your post just doesn’t make sense “Treatment of non-Kurds by the minority Kurd population in Al Hasaka (also referred to as Hasaka) governorate is unethical and criminal.
The minority Kurd population in Qamishly treats the majority non-Kurd population poorly.”
Perhaps the non Kurdish Majority in the region should fight back and stand tall? eh? Furthermore this seems to be going on under the knowledge of the Russians, Iranian, Syrian and Hezbollah Allies that are Very much in Syria and in that region. You mention the PKK entering into the area from Turkey as well, if this is common knowledge to the Syrian Allies why aren’t they doing anything about it?
Food for thought, making the Majority non Kurds in the area out as victims doesn’t wash here. Sara Abed is in the USA and is not on the ground first hand, her information is only as good as the person feeding it to her. Or what the motivies may be, journalists outside of Syria that have the best information tend to get 3 different sources for their information first hand, not via second or 3rd hand information. I have family in this area and none of them have mentioned any of this at all. Assuming that its true one would have to question why Syrian allies allow it ..or possibly enabled it.
“I have family in this area and none of them have mentioned any of this at all.”
The author who’s article I posted has a history, you are just a clever name posting comments. Her analysis could be completely wrong, but I take her views a lot more seriously than some person writing anonymously who claims expertise without providing any reviewable, reliable sourcing supporting their supposed expertise.
Sorry, no cigar. Better luck next time.
At the end of the day Assad will make a deal with the Kurds. He will not give them autonomy or federation, but they will get more cultural rights and some light/basic form of selfrule (thanks to Russian diplomacy). USA will pull out of Syria because Russia will be so nice to give them a face saving scenario. Turkey will pull back their military (only because of Russia). So all in all Russia is becoming the beacon of light in this world. Putin is the present day Dzul Karnain. God gave him wisdom and power, power based on faith to punish the wicked.
The Kurds are another one of those “useful idiot” tribes that never rise to power in their own right, but never give up that ambition so fall prey to the machinations of one side or the other. Throw some money and ‘guns’ at the Kurds, and you have an instant ‘armed insurrection’ for some Empire strategy- and Kurds fight far better than mercenaries, because they have a ’cause’.
Inbetween, the Kurds get the ‘Palestinian treatment’- in other words regional powers that fear the Kurds repeatedly cull the ‘brightest and best’ in ‘anti-terror’ operations. And the Kurds, hating their mistreatment, choose to rise to the ‘terrorist’ label as their only ‘option’ between those times when one Empire power or another temporarily uses them.
The Roman and British Empires were built on such manipulation.
Interestingly the Kurds are muslims who dress/think like westeners – unlike just about every other current major muslim subset. They are the exact opposite of the wahhabi tainted muslim groups.
Anyway no-one who matters seriously intends to give the Kurds a ‘homeland’. When their usefulness is over, Russia and the USA will turn a ‘blind eye’ to massive murderous military actions by the Turks. The Kurd alphas and thinkers will be once again hunted down and eliminated, and the Kurd quislings rewarded. It’s a story as old as Humanity.
And America’s plan in Syria is not ‘partition’- how on Earth would that be useful. Syria is another road to Iran, The entire legitimate leadership structure is America’s ***only*** Syrian target, and once any anti-Assad propaganda gets sufficient traction, the USA will mass murder the ‘head’ of Syria (all the peeps that matter ***and*** their families), just as they did a time ago in Libya. Russia slips once, and Team Assad is gone in two weeks of the most intense military action yet seen on this planet.
It is the monsters who run the Deep State who want you to look at things thru a ‘microscope’. False analysis is the no.1 propaganda method for the ‘chattering’ classes. Pull back instead and see the ‘big picture’. SAA victories count for nought once Assad is gone, and the SAA forces fragment and what remains falls under the control of a myriad of regionmal warlords. America had nothing but victories in Vietnam that only ensured the war would be ultimately lost.
As every intelligent general has stated, military action alone gains nothing.
As ‘troublemakers’ the Kurds are too civilised to matter in the mid-term. They will always be as easy to ‘tame’ as the Palestinians. So the Kurdish story is no story at all in the greater scheme of things.
The ***only*** story is Israel’s and Jordan’s and America’s and Britain’s and Saudi Arabia’s promise to defeat Russia in Syria, and take the war to Iran. Why are the clear words of these horrors ignored by our side again and again and again. The threats have been made in the clearest language possible, and disseminated to anyone who will listen. Hitler meant every word he wrote in Mein Kampf. The Deep State meant every word they wrote in Project For A New American Century. Yet some here still refuse to believe what the monsters have stated.
Dear Ghassan Kadi … Why is it, unlike Larchmonter445, twilight and several other contributors to this website, you never – or so seldom – seem to mention Israel in your analyses ? Are you allergic to the topic ? This is the mahout or cornac on the back of the elephant in the room goading the beast to do the bidding of the Talmudists and fulfil their messianic agenda. Any continuous respect of the current taboo on this admittedly vexed subject suggests to me the behaviour of a gatekeeper or as, I express myself in French, un gardien du temple. I hope I am wrong and that this oversight, on your part, can be corrected in your future articles
Russia does behind the scenes or behind another actor what needs to be done to protect Syria. Feeble brained or is it ill-intentioned types play that up, making fake accusations of Russia being a sell out or “liberals” having won in Russia. This is pernicious.
Russia is not and won’t be involved in a direct confrontation with the USA in Syria.
Be confident that they get done what they need to get done!
There are diplomatic statements and then there are facts on ground.
Russia will lose everything in the region if they stop backing Assad and these ill-intentioned typics are busy alluding to that happening. Not good.
In the past an agitator consciously misinterpreted the meaning inside a very preliminary draft constitution for Syria of the term “cultural autonomy” despite being ought to know the meaning in Russian terms.
This person is absolutely uncapable of working with documents – and is twisting words because there is no interest to find truth, and the analysis skills are shallow.
This one wants to prove being right and thats all that counts.
At some level Damascus will approve “Kurdish cultural autonomy” in its proper meaning not the twisted meaning put out to make trouble.
These haters can’t do anything about that. We also know that some American writers from main media and also fake alternative media try their best to sow discord among Russia, Iran and Damascus. That’s their job.
Some aspects of Kurdish issue are too sensitive for Syrian government. A mediator like Russia is perfect. But nothing presented regarding any draft constitution for Syria is done without pre agreement of Damascus. So trouble makers can speculate and agitate till the sun goes down.
President Assad is a good man, good leader. The apparatus around him is not always so good.
It’s doubtful that any Syrian lawyer would like his name to be associated with a constitution that gives the Kurds any acknowledgment. That’s how it is. So Russia is useful for this important work.
Also President Assad must by now know that it is time to take the term Arab out of the name of the republic and army and that something must be said about Kurds. Problem is that no lawyer volunteers to borrow their name to such changes particular anything that merely acknowledges Kurds.
“Also President Assad must by now know that it is time to take the term Arab out of the name of the republic and army and that something must be said about Kurds.”
Spoken like a true Zionist or Israeli primary ally – Russia, according to Sputnik
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201606071040952219-russia-israel-putin-netanyahu/
“There are diplomatic statements and then there are facts on ground.”
But you presented no facts. You presented assertions with no backup .
You presented a lot of ad-hominem also.
More broadly, that is the problem with Ghassan’s analysis. It’s empty of content. We don’t know who was supposed to do exactly what with exactly which forces and which names among Kurdish representatives in which vertical, horizontal or geographical area of Kurdish people within Syria. Instead we get just general uncorroborated assertions that Kurds are such Syrian patriots that they will all fight tooth and nail to create Greater Syria.
So let’s add some substance to this vapid page
This is written by a woman who is the unofficial ambassador of Syrian Kurds to United States
“We’re America’s best friend in Syria. ”
By Ilham Ahmed
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2017/04/28/were-americas-best-friend-in-syria-turkey-bombed-us-anyway/?utm_term=.5b9cb5a14cfc
This article confirms what I thought was going on in Syria, but why is no one else, anywhere as far as I can see, reporting on this? I guess it’s just further confirmation of absolute uselessness of the Western media but also of significant limitations of the alternate media as well.