Trump faces foreign policy challenges in Syria and Iran

[yota691]

US forces leave their bases northeast of Syria and move towards the Iraqi border

Political | 03:12 - 15/10/2019

 

 

 

 

BAGHDAD -
US forces have left their bases in the village of Dadat in Manbij, northeastern Syria, and moved towards the Iraqi border, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
"The US military has left their bases in the Dadat area northwest of Manbij, heading towards the Syrian border with Iraq," the ministry said in a statement seen by Mawazine News.
The statement pointed out that "at the moment, the Syrian government forces occupy Dadat and Um Mayal."
US forces evacuated the base of Manbij Mills last Sunday and banned passage around it.
US forces have established three military bases along the north of Syria, one near the mills area at the entrance to the city, the second south of the village of Aoun al-Dadat near the line between the SDF and the Euphrates Shield factions supported by Turkey, and the third near the Union University at the Syriatel Tower west of the city.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country had decided to launch a military operation east of the Euphrates on October 9 to liquidate the PKK and the YPG.
Turkey launched a military operation in northern Syria under the name of "spring of peace" and claimed that the aim of the operation is to eliminate what it called the "terrorist corridor" to be established near the southern border of Turkey, in reference to the Kurdish "YPG", which Ankara considers an arm of " The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is active in the "Syrian Democratic Forces" supported by the United States in the fight against "

[yota691]

Trump: Sanctions against Turkey will be devastating if talks on Syria fail

16 October 2019 10:48 PM
Direct: US President Donald Trump said that sanctions against Turkey would be devastating if the talks with Ankara did not work on moves in Syria.

The threat came hours before Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo left for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

"I think they will have a successful meeting. If they don't, sanctions, tariffs and other things that we will be doing will generate Turkey's economy," Trump told a news conference along with his Italian counterpart Sergio Matarella on Wednesday.

The US president announced his intention to increase tariffs on steel imports from Turkey to 50 percent with the suspension of trade negotiations with Ankara.

The US president said he had not given Erdogan the green light "to enter northeastern Syria."

Trump added that the Turkish president had long planned a military operation in Syria, adding that he did not want US forces to be damaged as a result.

The US president announced last week the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, a move criticized by US lawmakers as hasty.

For his part, Matarella said he discussed the situation in Syria with his US counterpart, pointing out that Italy condemns the Turkish attack.

By 7:40 pm GMT, the Turkish lira rose against the dollar by about 0.4 percent to 5.8934 pounds.

 

[yota691]

Washington reaches agreement with Turkey to stop military operation in Syria

17 October 2019 09:04 PM
From: Ahmed Shawky

Direct: The United States announced an agreement with Turkey to provide for a ceasefire and military operation by Ankara in Syria.

US Vice President Mike Pence told a news conference Thursday that the deal with Turkey had saved millions of lives, noting that Ankara would cease fire within 120 hours to allow Kurdish forces to withdraw from the affected areas in the safe area.

"In addition, the United States and Turkey have mutually committed to a peaceful solution to the safe area and to work on an international basis to ensure that peace and security prevail in this border region with Syria," Pence said.

The US vice president stressed that the United States will not impose additional sanctions on Turkey.

The announcement came after Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Turkish President Recep Erdogan in Ankara.

Ahead of the news conference, President Donald Trump said on Twitter that there was good news coming out of the meeting in Turkey, saying it would save "millions of lives."

The US president yesterday threatened destructive sanctions on Turkey unless the talks between Washington and Ankara succeed, noting that he did not give Turkey the green light for a military operation in Syria.

 

[yota691]

Turkish Foreign Minister on the agreement on Syria: not a ceasefire

17 October 2019 11:08 PM
Directly: Turkish Foreign Minister said that the agreement reached between the United States and Turkey to suspend military operations in Syria is not a ceasefire.

"This is not a ceasefire. We will stop the operation for 120 hours until the Kurdish fighters leave, and we will not stop it completely unless our conditions are met," Mevlik Gavishoglu told a news conference on Thursday.

He continued, "Ihsanoglu," we just need to create a "safe area" about 20 miles east of the Euphrates River to the Iraqi border.

US President Donald Trump said the agreement to halt Turkey's military operation in Syria was a "stunning result" that saved millions of lives.

"I want to thank Turkey, as well as the Kurds, who were incredibly happy with this solution. They have saved their lives."

As part of that agreement, the United States persuaded the Kurds to dismantle their defenses and withdraw troops from the border to satisfy Turkey.

The United States also conducted joint patrols with the Turkish military as part of the deal as the Kurds complied with a request to withdraw and dismantle their defense fortifications.

 

[yota691]

 

100 American trucks loaded with weapons cross Hasaka to the Kurdistan region

 

 

 2019/10/18 07:43:46

 

Sputnik, Russia, said that about 100 large trucks flying US flags and carrying weapons and military equipment crossed the city of al-Hasakah coming from the south of it.
She said that the trucks are on their way to the northeastern areas of the province of Hasaka, where the crossing (Simalka) with the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
She added that the US convoy, whose final destination is not yet clear, was coming from the city of Shadadi south of Hasaka, and from the areas of the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where there are US bases.
The crossing of the US military convoy coincided with the announcement of the US-Turkish agreement to suspend the Turkish military operation in northern Syria "spring of peace", and the announcement of the US Vice President that it is no longer necessary for the presence of the US military in Syria.
The US Vice President, Mike Pence, has announced an agreement with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a ceasefire in northern Syria.
US Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey had agreed to a five-day ceasefire in northeastern Syria to allow the withdrawal of Kurdish forces.
"The United States and Turkey have agreed today to a ceasefire in Syria," Pence told a news conference after more than four hours of talks at Ankara's presidential palace.
US President Donald Trump thanked Erdogan after negotiations by a US delegation in Ankara over the Turkish military incursion into northeastern Syria.
"Thanks to (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan. Millions of lives will be saved!" Trump said on Twitter.

[yota691]

Fears in Baghdad and Erbil of a Turkish operation inside Iraqi territory

Political | 01:02 - 18/10/2019

 

 

 

 

Baghdad - Mawazine News
Iraqi political and government circles in Baghdad with Kurdish leaders in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, on fears that Ankara may repeat its current operation in northern Syria also in northern Iraqi areas, which is the traditional stronghold of the PKK militants, especially the foothills The mountains of Qandil, Sinjar, Sedkan, Soran, and other areas in the north of the country are distributed among Erbil, Dohuk and Nineveh, especially with previous hints from Turkish officials that Baghdad has not done its part to prevent militants taking their territory from attacking Turkey and threatening its security.
Abbas Serout, a member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, said that "there are very predictable fears that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will go to Iraq and abort the military presence of the PKK, which the Iraqi government also rejects, especially with the success of the Turkish operation in Syria that could encourage the Turks." To liquidate their armed opponents inside Iraq. "
Sarut stressed in a statement reported by the new Arab newspaper and seen by (Mawazine News), that "Iraq does not accept that its sovereignty is compromised, but there may be coordination or military agreement between Turkey and Iraq on the Labor Party, which is not easy to get rid of, Especially since it penetrates into very rugged areas in northern Iraq. "
"There are fears that the success of the Turkish operation in northern Syria will open up the appetite of the Turks to carry out a large ground offensive inside Iraqi territory, with a depth of more than 40 kilometers in the country," said a senior official close to Abdul Mahdi. Kandil, Sinjar and other border towns where there are thousands of PKK militants. "
The official pointed out that "any Turkish attack inside Iraq will not have results similar to what has been achieved in Syria at all," pointing out that "the reason Baghdad did not move towards the PKK militants over the past period was because of the presence of a more dangerous enemy to eliminate it, which is ISIS "Everyone knows that Ankara can solve the problem with the PKK by negotiating."
He added, "
At the end of May, Turkish forces launched a large-scale air offensive, with a limited ground incursion into mountainous areas in northern Iraq, specifically the PKK caches, dubbed the "claw".
Turkish military operations continued in border areas inside Iraqi territory within the Kurdistan region, until last July, specifically after the killing of the Turkish consul in Erbil, without issuing any official position from Baghdad, which he interpreted as approval of the operations.
At that time, Sedkan, Suran, Khwakurk, Bankard, and the Qandil mountain range, as well as the outskirts of Amadiyah and Zakho districts, witnessed aerial operations, as well as occasional artillery shelling by the Turkish army, which resulted in casualties among Iraqi Kurdish civilians.
The Kurdish region of northern Iraq has long been home to armed groups opposed to Turkey and Iran, most notably the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara classifies as a terrorist organization, the Iranian Kurdish Freedom Party, and the Iranian Kurdish Communist Party, the main Kurdish armed wings of the Kurds. Turkey and Iran, which have been in the region since the 1990s, following the departure of Iraq's three northern provinces from Baghdad's control after the 1991 Gulf War, and the UN Security Council imposed a no-fly zone.
Earlier, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim condemned what he described as a Turkish attack on Syria, during an emergency meeting of the Arab League, invited by Egypt, saying that the attack "is a serious escalation that will exacerbate humanitarian crises and increase the suffering of the Syrian people, and strengthen the ability of Terrorists to reorganize their remnants "
In a recent statement, the Iraqi National Security Council confirmed that it had instructed units of the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization to secure the international border with Syria, while continuing the military operation carried out by Turkey in northern Syria.
This came during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to discuss the Turkish military operation and its possible repercussions on Iraq.

[yota691]

Zarif calls his counterparts in Iraq, Syria and Russia

Political | 02:38 - 18/10/2019

 

 

 

 

BAGHDAD -
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held phone calls with his counterparts in Iraq, Syria and Russia, while discussing with them the latest developments in the region.
According to the Fars news agency, "Zarif discussed his phone conversations with Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Ali al-Hakim, Syrian Walid al-Moallem and Russian Sergei Lavrov, the latest regional developments, especially the situation in northern Syria."
"The Iranian foreign minister is scheduled to continue his contacts with a number of officials in other countries."
Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov said in a telephone conversation that the Syrian territorial integrity should be respected and permanent stability should be established.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed in a telephone conversation the need to achieve a long-term and stable stability in northeastern Syria on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said on Thursday.
The two sides agreed to continue exchanging views and coordination between the three guarantors of the Astana process on resolving the crisis in Syria, including the launching of the work of the Constitutional Discussion Committee in Geneva, the ministry said.
During the telephone conversation, the two sides stressed the launch of dialogue between Damascus and Ankara, as well as between Syrian officials and representatives of the Syrian Kurds, and announced the readiness of Tehran and Moscow to facilitate such contacts.
Last week, Turkish troops launched an offensive in northeastern Syria and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the spring a "spring of peace" and said it targeted the PKK and the YPG.
The Turkish military operations faced wide regional and international opposition

[yota691]

Erdogan: We will resume our operations in Syria immediately if the terms of its suspension agreement are not implemented

Political | 03:06 - 18/10/2019

 

 

 

 

Erdogan: We will resume our operations in Syria immediately if the terms of its suspension agreement are not implemented

[horsesoldier]

This is how the Turkish Government saves face.

[Laid Back]

What a coincidence.!

Yesterday USA and Turkey got an agreement to ceasefire 

Today the Kurds promised to deliver 250k bpd to Baghdad before receiving the salaries of its employees in the

2020 budget 

 

Way to go TRUMP.🇺🇸

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by Laid Back

[ChuckFinley]

On 10/13/2019 at 10:09 AM, jg1 said:

I am part Canadian and part American and both of me love him!😄

Same here my friend, family in BC. 

[gregp]

1 hour ago, Laid Back said:

What a coincidence.!

Yesterday USA and Turkey got an agreement to ceasefire 

Today the Kurds promised to deliver 250k bpd to Baghdad before receiving the salaries of its employees in the

2020 budget 

 

Way to go TRUMP.🇺🇸

 

Obummer did it. It’s all from his term. It’s just catching up. 

 

 

                   
Obummer..... 

[Rhona]

1 hour ago, Laid Back said:

What a coincidence.!

Yesterday USA and Turkey got an agreement to ceasefire 

Today the Kurds promised to deliver 250k bpd to Baghdad before receiving the salaries of its employees in the

2020 budget 

 

Way to go TRUMP.🇺🇸

 

The Kurds ,or friends are been driven from their home and been slaughter by the Turks  and our nimble minded President is calling it a great victory ,just sold out our middle east interest to the ruthless dictator of Syria ,dictator of Turkey and his boss Putin 

sure Way to go Trump

[Synopsis]

1 hour ago, Rhona said:

The Kurds ,or friends are been driven from their home and been slaughter by the Turks  and our nimble minded President is calling it a great victory ,just sold out our middle east interest to the ruthless dictator of Syria ,dictator of Turkey and his boss Putin 

sure Way to go Trump

 

      

 

           

 

ALTHOUGH THE GUARDIAN, this IS a video of The True The United States Of America Patriot President Donald J Trump ON The United States Of America Position ON THEE Turds, er, Kurds!!!

 

 

WHO, pray tell, CARE about THEE Turds, er, Kurds???!!!

 

Well, OK, Rhona, YOU can go OVER THERE AND DEFEND THEM YOURSELF FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU, Rhona, MAY HAVE!!!

 

GOOD RIDDANCE, Rhona!!!

 

The economic sanctions are far more effective AND DO NOT PUT OUR CHERISHED The United States Of America Service Persons IN HARM'S WAY!!!

 

Go Moola Nova!

[Laid Back]

1 hour ago, gregp said:

Obummer did it. It’s all from his term. It’s just catching up. 

 

 

                   
Obummer..... 

Joke of the year my friend Gregp, 😂👍🏼

 

1 hour ago, Rhona said:

The Kurds ,or friends are been driven from their home and been slaughter by the Turks  and our nimble minded President is calling it a great victory ,just sold out our middle east interest to the ruthless dictator of Syria ,dictator of Turkey and his boss Putin 

sure Way to go Trump

Thanks for your input Rhona,

I believe the ceasefire and the Kurds promised to deliver 250k bpd to Baghdad (HCL) before receiving the salaries of its employees in the 2020 budget. Is a great Victory 

Just my opinion.

[Rhona]

33 minutes ago, Synopsis said:

 

      

 

           

 

ALTHOUGH THE GUARDIAN, this IS a video of The True The United States Of America Patriot President Donald J Trump ON The United States Of America Position ON THEE Turds, er, Kurds!!!

 

 

WHO, pray tell, CARE about THEE Turds, er, Kurds???!!!

 

Well, OK, Rhona, YOU can go OVER THERE AND DEFEND THEM YOURSELF FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU, Rhona, MAY HAVE!!!

 

GOOD RIDDANCE, Rhona!!!

 

The economic sanctions are far more effective AND DO NOT PUT OUR CHERISHED The United States Of America Service Persons IN HARM'S WAY!!!

 

Go Moola Nova!

You might be interested to read  the op ed by retired admiral McRaven yesterday in the New York Times  titled

Our replublic is under attack by the president  

[Rhona]

28 minutes ago, Laid Back said:

Joke of the year my friend Gregp, 😂👍🏼

 

Thanks for your input Rhona,

I believe the ceasefire and the Kurds promised to deliver 250k bpd to Baghdad (HCL) before receiving the salaries of its employees in the 2020 budget. Is a great Victory 

Just my opinion.

The Kurds in Kurdistan had agreed to deliver to Baghdad before the Turks started the attack on the Syrian Kurds 

trumps capulitation to Erdogan  demand to cleanse the area of Syrian that the Kurds occupied for years and fought and died along the US 

to defeat ISIS  

[cws]

43 minutes ago, Laid Back said:

Joke of the year my friend Gregp, 😂👍🏼

 

Thanks for your input Rhona,

I believe the ceasefire and the Kurds promised to deliver 250k bpd to Baghdad (HCL) before receiving the salaries of its employees in the 2020 budget. Is a great Victory 

Just my opinion.

I thought it was Bush’s fault

[Carrello]

House Republicans joined Democrats in condemning Trump’s actions in Syria

Congress is pushing back on Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

By Ella Nilsen and Li Zhou  Oct 16, 2019, 4:35pm EDT

US President Donald Trump speaks during a joint news conference with President Sergio Mattarella of Italy in the East Room at the White House on October 16, 2019, in Washington, DC.  Alex Wong/Getty Images

In a bipartisan rebuke to President Donald Trump, the US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning his decision to pull United States troops out of Syria, abandoning US allies in the region as Turkish troops have moved in.

 

The 354-60 vote on the resolution Wednesday was largely symbolic, but it signaled the widespread disapproval among lawmakers for Trump’s latest controversial foreign policy move. It came as fighting continued in northeastern Syria between Turkey and Kurdish fighters, who have been a key US ally in fighting the terror group ISIS.

 

“At President Trump’s hands, American leadership has been laid low, and American foreign policy has become nothing more than a tool to advance his own interests,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel (D-NY), who introduced the resolution. “Today we make clear that the Congress is a coequal branch of government and we want nothing to do with this disastrous policy.”

 

Trump’s decision to pull out American troops pleased Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who promptly moved his troops in to fight Kurdish militias he views as a threat. But it inflamed both congressional Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. This follows a pattern; Republicans have been most willing to rebuke Trump on his foreign policy choices, including a vote to end the Saudi war in Yemen. Some who have otherwise defended Trump throughout his impeachment inquiry in the House have been quick to criticize him on the chaos he’s causing in the region — fearing it will spur a reemergence of ISIS.

 

“The entire region will suffer the consequences of some very bad actors getting back on the battlefield again because of that,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) on the Senate floor Wednesday. “The administration clearly did not coordinate with the State Department, with the Department of Defense, with what was happening in the region, to make sure we were securing those fighters and preparing for that moment.”...continued

 

The non-binding resolution reiterates the House’s opposition to the pullout of Syria troops and calls on Turkey to stop its military action in the country. It also asks Trump to present a plan to combat and defeat ISIS in the region. Both the House and Senate are considering sanctions packages in the coming days that go beyond the White House’s proposed punitive measures against Turkey.

 

Trump’s actions on Syria have prompted a rare breaking point with Senate Republicans

Senate Republicans don’t break with Trump on much, but the president’s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria has prompted significant pushback from several of his allies in the upper chamber. Although Republicans appeared to reconcile some concerns earlier this week, statements that Trump made during a press appearance on Wednesday have seemingly caused the conflict to flare up once more.

During an event with the Italian president, Trump sought to defend his decision to remove troops from the region, noting that the United States’ Kurdish allies are “not angels” and that the ongoing clashes between Turkey and Syria were “not between Turkey and the United States.”

 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), one of Trump’s stalwart supporters in the Senate, shot back quickly regarding the president’s comments. “If the president did say that Turkey’s invasion is no concern to us, I find that to be an outstanding — an astonishing statement which I completely and totally reject,” he told NBC News. Graham elaborated on his criticism in a Twitter thread, emphasizing that Trump’s statements could lead to a “disaster worse than President Obama’s decision to leave Iraq.”

Lindsey Graham

 

✔@LindseyGrahamSC

 · Oct 16, 2019

 

I hope President Trump is right in his belief that Turkeys invasion of Syria is of no concern to us, abandoning the Kurds won’t come back to haunt us, ISIS won’t reemerge, and Iran will not fill the vacuum created by this decision.

Lindsey Graham

 

✔@LindseyGrahamSC

 

However, I firmly believe that if President Trump continues to make such statements this will be a disaster worse than President Obama’s decision to leave Iraq.

 

2,001

9:09 AM - Oct 16, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy

 

2,018 people are talking about this

 

 

 

Trump’s decision to remove troops from Syria has previously prompted questions from many Republicans who have favored American intervention in the region and voted to preserve it. Sens. Pat Toomey (R-PA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) were among those who argued that Trump’s actions were a “betrayal” of the United States’ Kurdish allies, when he made the announcement last week.

 

On Monday, Trump said he would impose sanctions on Turkey in an effort to curb the country’s military onslaught in northern Syria, a move that has not appeared to deter Turkish forces. Trump’s decision appeased some Republicans including Graham, however, prompting them to applaud the president’s attempts to target Turkey.

 

“Given the events that have happened at this point, it’s probably the most you can do in the short term,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) told Politico.

 

Trump’s comments on Wednesday and the ongoing military offensive from Turkey have sustained renewed pushback in the Senate, though. In addition to the Republican uproar, Senate Democratic leaders are calling for lawmakers to back the House’s bipartisan resolution condemning the President’s decision to remove troops in the region.

 

“Sanctions against Erdoğan are fine and good. President Erdoğan should be punished for his military adventurism and his aggression. But sanctions alone are insufficient,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech Wednesday.

 

 

[Carrello]

General JOSEPH VOTEL served as commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) from March 2016 to March 2019. As commander of CENTCOM, Votel oversaw military operations across the region, including the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Before CENTCOM, he was the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). General Votel is a non-resident Distinguished Senior Fellow on National Security at the Middle East Institute (MEI).

 

The Danger of Abandoning Our Partners

The Syria policy reversal threatens to undo five years’ worth of fighting against ISIS and will severely damage American credibility and reliability.

 

JOSEPH VOTELELIZABETH DENt

 

www.theatlantic.com

OCT 8, 2019

A U.S. soldier oversees members of the Syrian Democratic Forces as they raise a Tal Abyad Military Council flag.HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

 

The abrupt policy decision to seemingly abandon our Kurdish partners could not come at a worse time. The decision was made without consulting U.S. allies or senior U.S. military leadership and threatens to affect future partnerships at precisely the time we need them most, given the war-weariness of the American public coupled with ever more sophisticated enemies determined to come after us.

 

In northeastern Syria, we had one of the most successful partnerships. The Islamic State was using Syria as a sanctuary to support its operations in Iraq and globally, including by hosting and training foreign fighters. We had to go after ISIS quickly and effectively. The answer came in the form of a small band of Kurdish forces pinned up against the Turkish border and fighting for their lives against ISIS militants in the Syrian town of Kobane in 2014.

 

We had tried many other options first. The U.S. initially worked to partner with moderate Syrian rebel groups, investing $500 million in a train-and-equip program to build their capabilities to fight against ISIS in Syria. That endeavor failed, save for a small force in southeastern Syria near the American al-Tanf base, which began as a U.S. outpost to fight ISIS and remains today as a deterrent against Iran. So we turned to Turkey to identify alternative groups, but the Pentagon found that the force Turkey had trained was simply inadequate and would require tens of thousands of U.S. troops to bolster it in battle. With no public appetite for a full-scale U.S. ground invasion, we were forced to look el

 

I (Joseph Votel) first met General Mazloum Abdi at a base in northern Syria in May 2016. From the start, it was obvious he was not only an impressive and thoughtful man, but a fighter who was clearly thinking about the strategic aspects of the campaign against ISIS and aware of the challenges of fighting a formidable enemy. He could see the long-term perils from the civil war, but recognized that the most immediate threat to his people was ISIS. After a fitful start in Syria, I concluded that we had finally found the right partner who could help us defeat ISIS without getting drawn into the murkier conflict against Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

 

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), initially composed of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), was then conceived: a fighting force that eventually grew to 60,000 battle-hardened and determined soldiers. The decision to partner with the YPG, beginning with the fight in Kobane, was made across two administrations and had required years of deliberation and planning, especially given the concerns of our NATO ally Turkey, who regards the SDF as an offshoot of the designated terrorist group the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Eventually, the YPG became the backbone of the fighting force against ISIS in Syria. Without it, President Donald Trump could not have declared the complete defeat of ISIS.

 

With support from what grew to be the 80-member Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which included air power, advisers on the ground, and equipment, the SDF became a force to be reckoned with and led a string of victories. In August 2016, it liberated the Syrian town of Manbij, which once functioned as a hub for ISIS fighters to cross into Turkey and is believed to be where the attackers who carried out the November 2015 Paris attacks transited. Mindful of the need for credibility as it pushed to liberate Arab-dominated areas, the YPG had succeeded in incorporating Arab units into its structure as a united Arab-Kurd fighting force. That force, the SDF, went on to liberate the so-called capital of the caliphate, Raqqa, and towns in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, culminating in the territorial defeat of ISIS in Baghouz this past March.

 

 

Over four years, the SDF freed tens of thousands of square miles and millions of people from the grip of ISIS. Throughout the fight, it sustained nearly 11,000 casualties. By comparison, six U.S. service members, as well as two civilians, have been killed in the anti-ISIS campaign. Key to this effective relationship was mutual trust, constant communication, and clear expectations. The partnership was not without its difficulties. That included working through the December 2018 announcement of our sudden departure and our subsequent agreement with Turkey to pursue a security mechanism for the border areas. But each time, the strong mutual trust built on the ground between our military members and the SDF preserved our momentum. The sudden policy change this week breaks that trust at the most important juncture.

 

It didn’t have to be this way. The U.S. worked endlessly to placate our Turkish allies.

 

We engaged in countless rounds of negotiations, committing to establishing a security mechanism that included joint patrols in areas of concern to the Turks, and deploying 150 additional U.S. troops to help monitor and enforce the “safe zone.” Yet Ankara repeatedly reneged on its agreements with the U.S., deeming thNearly 2,000 foreign fighters, about 9,000 Iraqi and Syrian fighters, andem inadequate and threatening to invade SDF-held areas, despite the presence of U.S. soldier

 

A possible invasion from Turkey against the Kurdish elements of the SDF, coupled with a hasty U.S. departure, now threaten to rapidly destabilize an already fragile security situation in Syria’s northeast, where ISIS’s physical caliphate was only recently defeated. tens of thousands of ISIS family members are being held in detention facilities and displaced-persons camps in areas under SDF control. What happens if we leave? The SDF has already stated that it will have to fortify defense mechanisms along the Syrian-Turkish border, leaving ISIS detention facilities and encampments with little to no security. This is particularly troubling, given that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of ISIS, recently called on supporters to break fighters out of these facilities. There have also been violent attacks in the al-Hol refugee camp, where tens of thousands of women and children are housed and where ISIS sympathy runs rampant.

 

The Pentagon and White House later clarified that the U.S. was not abandoning the Kurds and did not support a Turkish incursion into Syria. But the damage may already be done, because it appears the Turks have taken the shift to signal a green light for an attack in the northeast. This policy abandonment threatens to undo five years’ worth of fighting against ISIS and will severely damage American credibility and reliability in any future fights where we need strong allies.

 

 

General JOSEPH VOTEL served as commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) from March 2016 to March 2019. As commander of CENTCOM, Votel oversaw military operations across the region, including the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Before CENTCOM, he was the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). General Votel is a non-resident Distinguished Senior Fellow on National Security at the Middle East Institute (MEI).

 

ELIZABETH DENT is a non-resident fellow at MEI on counterterrorism and worked in various capacities at the State Department for the U.S. Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS from 2014 to 2019.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Carrello

[Carrello]

 

Opinion

Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President

If President Trump doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office.

 

By William H. McRaven

Admiral McRaven is a former commander of the United States Special Operations Command.

• Oct. 17, 2019

 CreditCreditDamon Winter/The New York Times

Last week I attended two memorable events that reminded me why we care so very much about this nation and also why our future may be in peril.

The first was a change of command ceremony for a storied Army unit in which one general officer passed authority to another. The second event was an annual gala for the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) Society that recognizes past and present members of the intelligence and Special Operations community for their heroism and sacrifice to the nation. What struck me was the stark contrast between the words and deeds heralded at those events — and the words and deeds emanating from the White House.

On the parade field at Fort Bragg, N.C., where tens of thousands of soldiers have marched either preparing to go to war or returning from it, the two generals, highly decorated, impeccably dressed, cleareyed and strong of character, were humbled by the moment.

They understood the awesome responsibility that the nation had placed on their shoulders. They understood that they had an obligation to serve their soldiers and their soldiers’ families. They believed in the American values for which they had been fighting for the past three decades. They had faith that these values were worth sacrificing everything for — including, if necessary, their lives.

Having served with both officers for the past 20 years, I know that they personified all that is good and decent and honorable about the American military with genuineness of their humility, their uncompromising integrity, their willingness to sacrifice all for a worthy cause, and the pride they had in their soldiers.

Later that week, at the O.S.S. Society dinner, there were films and testimonials to the valor of the men and women who had fought in Europe and the Pacific during World War II. We also celebrated the 75th anniversary of D-Day, recognizing those brave Americans and allies who sacrificed so much to fight Nazism and fascism. We were reminded that the Greatest Generation went to war because it believed that we were the good guys — that wherever there was oppression, tyranny or despotism, America would be there. We would be there because freedom mattered. We would be there because the world needed us and if not us, then who?

Also that evening we recognized the incredible sacrifice of a new generation of Americans: an Army Special Forces warrant officer who had been wounded three times, the most recent injury costing him his left leg above the knee. He was still in uniform and still serving. There was an intelligence officer, who embodied the remarkable traits of those men and women who had served in the O.S.S. And a retired Marine general, whose 40 years of service demonstrated all that was honorable about the Corps and public service.

But the most poignant recognition that evening was for a young female sailor who had been killed in Syria serving alongside our allies in the fight against ISIS. Her husband, a former Army Green Beret, accepted the award on her behalf. Like so many that came before her, she had answered the nation’s call and willingly put her life in harm’s way.

For everyone who ever served in uniform, or in the intelligence community, for those diplomats who voice the nation’s principles, for the first responders, for the tellers of truth and the millions of American citizens who were raised believing in American values — you would have seen your reflection in the faces of those we honored last week.

But, beneath the outward sense of hope and duty that I witnessed at these two events, there was an underlying current of frustration, humiliation, anger and fear that echoed across the sidelines. The America that they believed in was under attack, not from without, but from within.

These men and women, of all political persuasions, have seen the assaults on our institutions: on the intelligence and law enforcement community, the State Department and the press. They have seen our leaders stand beside despots and strongmen, preferring their government narrative to our own. They have seen us abandon our allies and have heard the shouts of betrayal from the battlefield. As I stood on the parade field at Fort Bragg, one retired four-star general, grabbed my arm, shook me and shouted, “I don’t like the Democrats, but Trump is destroying the Republic!”

Those words echoed with me throughout the week. It is easy to destroy an organization if you have no appreciation for what makes that organization great. We are not the most powerful nation in the world because of our aircraft carriers, our economy, or our seat at the United Nations Security Council. We are the most powerful nation in the world because we try to be the good guys. We are the most powerful nation in the world because our ideals of universal freedom and equality have been backed up by our belief that we were champions of justice, the protectors of the less fortunate.

But, if we don’t care about our values, if we don’t care about duty and honor, if we don’t help the weak and stand up against oppression and injustice — what will happen to the Kurds, the Iraqis, the Afghans, the Syrians, the Rohingyas, the South Sudanese and the millions of people under the boot of tyranny or left abandoned by their failing states?

If our promises are meaningless, how will our allies ever trust us? If we can’t have faith in our nation’s principles, why would the men and women of this nation join the military? And if they don’t join, who will protect us? If we are not the champions of the good and the right, then who will follow us? And if no one follows us — where will the world end up?

President Trump seems to believe that these qualities are unimportant or show weakness. He is wrong. These are the virtues that have sustained this nation for the past 243 years. If we hope to continue to lead the world and inspire a new generation of young men and women to our cause, then we must embrace these values now more than ever.

And if this president doesn’t understand their importance, if this president doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, both domestically and abroad, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office — Republican, Democrat or independent — the sooner, the better. The fate of our Republic depends upon it.

 

www.nytimes.com

[markb57]

So, if Turkey is a part of NATO, why isn't NATO slapping down Turkey for invading Syria??? 

[Synopsis]

2 hours ago, Rhona said:

You might be interested to read  the op ed by retired admiral McRaven yesterday in the New York Times  titled

Our replublic is under attack by the president  

 

      

 

           

 

Stupid, JUST Stupid, Rhona.

 

The op ed is baseless. The True The United States Of America Patriot President Donald J Trump IS fulfilling the Oath Of Office TO Uphold The Constitution Of The United States Of America TO INCLUDE The Ratified Bill Of Rights.

 

IF NOT, ACTUAL evidence MUST BE PROVIDED.

 

Otherwise, of course, Our Republic IS NOT "under" "attack" by The True The United States Of America Patriot President Donald J Trump.

 

THIS IS, obviously, succinctly descriptive of YOUR, Rhona, AND fellow idiots "mentality":

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiGsHCpBGg4

 

11,000 Turds, er, Kurds have ALREADY died fighting for THEIR Country WITH the presence of The United States Of America Service Persons.

 

To NOTE:  SEVERE Spanctions ARE forthcoming for THEE Twerks SHOULD THEY EXCEED THEE ESTABLISHED LIMIT The True The United States Of America Patriot President Donald J Trump HAS ALREADY SET.

 

Congress HAS ALREADY STATED SEVERE Twerkish Economic Spanction WILL BE APPLIED.

 

ISIS is hated and pursued EVERYWHERE WITHOUT The United States Of America Service Persons presence.

 

The United States Of America's interests are little to non existent in Syrian Turdistan, er, Kurdistan.

 

So, WHO, pray tell, CARES???!!!

 

The Syrian Turds, er, Kurds ARE NOT REALLY The United States Of America Allies. The Syrian Turds, er, Kurds ARE an ethnic component of Syria.

 

IS Syria an Ally of The United States Of America???!!!

 

OBVIOUSLY NOT!!!

 

Twerkish Economic Spanctions vs. The United States Of America Service Person's Life.

 

I'll chose Twerkish Economic Spanctions EVERY TIME SINCE I VALUE EVERY The United States Of America Service Person's Life.

 

IF YOU, Rhona AND Carrello AND WHOEVER ELSE, WANTS TO GO TO Syrian Turdistan, er, Kurdistan AND DIE FOR THEM THEN GO AHEAD AND GOOD RIDDANCE!!!

 

REMEMBER October 3 - 4, 1993 WITH BLACK HAWK DOWN IN MOGADISHU, SOMALIA???!!!

 

A KILLED The United States Of America Service Person was dragged through the streets. How about YOU Rhona AND Carrello AND WHOEVER ELSE???!!!

 

Would YOU like YOUR, Rhona AND Carrello AND WHOEVER ELSE, DEAD bodies dragged through the streets AND broadcast WORLD WIDE???!!!

 

I called my Senators and House Of Representative THAT DAY and told THEM in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS WE had BETTER figure out WHY we are there, get it done, AND GET OUT OF THERE. NO MORE DEAD The United States Of America Service Persons BEING DRAGGED THROUGH THE STREETS!!!

 

WHO, pray tell, CARES ABOUT WHAT IDIOT CONGRESS OR IDIOT MILITARY PAST OR PRESENT THINK OR SAY???!!!

 

ALL HYPE AND NO SUBSTANCE!!!

 

True The United State Of America Patriots KNOW BETTER AND ACT ACCORDINGLY!!!

 

OBVIOUSLY, YOU, Rhona AND Carrello AND WHOEVER ELSE, CAN NOT THINK FOR YOURSELVES!!!

 

      

 

           

 

Go Moola Nova!

[Carrello]

How is it, Synopsis, that you know more than generals that commanded our military in the Middle East for years? Men that have commanded thousands of men and women? Are you a general too or a military person at all? Or are you just another "stable genius?" 

 

Have you seen to photos today of the Kurdish children burned, their skin peeling off the bodies, crying in pain? The Turks are using illegal napalm reportedly. Gee this is fun.

 

BTW don't you tell me, Rhona, or anyone else for that matter, that we don't think for ourselves. EVER. 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Carrello

[yota691]

US Secretary of Defense heads to the Middle East .. and likely to visit Baghdad

Release date:: 2019/10/18 22:05 • 362 times read

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he would travel to the Middle East on Saturday to see the latest developments in the region.

"Tomorrow I will go to the Middle East to visit our forces and international partners, and to take stock of the latest developments of other important operations in the region. Our campaign against ISIS. "
"I look forward to meeting with my Turkish counterpart and other counterparts in Brussels to strengthen the importance of ensuring a lasting political solution to the situation in Syria
," Isber said.