Saturday, January 20, 2018

Turkish Jets Hammer Syrian Town to Oust US-Backed Kurdish Militia


Let's see how the Very Stable Genuis reacts to this.

Turkey launched a military operation Saturday targeting Kurdish fighters in the Syrian town of Afrin, Turkish state-run news reported, according to CNN.

The network notes:
The incursion, dubbed Operation Olive Branch, is likely to sharpen tensions between Turkey and the United States, which supports and openly arms Kurdish militias fighting ISIS. The operation targeting Kurdish fighters could open up a new frontier in the Syrian conflict, which has gone on for nearly seven years.
There is absolutely no sound reason for the U.S. to be operating in this region---and yet it could lead to more military action by the U.S.

 -RW

5 comments:

  1. while it maybe that Turkey rants and raves about the YPG, I'm not sure if that is the target. while DC and Ankara have seemingly been at loggerheads, there hasn't be any suggestion of Turkey being suspended, let alone kicked out of Nato.

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    1. NATO: What is that, outside of US controlled thuggery?

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    2. See Moon of Alabama for the Syrian picture. If Trump has 1/8th of a brain, he will leave now. Trap set.

      http://www.moonofalabama.org/

      "The Turkish military has started to bomb the Afrin (Efrin) canton in north-west Syria. "Free Syrian Army" fighters under Ottoman/Turkish flags stand ready to invade it. The canton is held and administrated by YPK/PKK Kurds. Neither I nor Elijah Magnier nor Joshua Landis had expected that Erdogan would really do this. One wonders what deals have been made with Russia and Syria to allow for this invasion.

      There was a plausible rumor yesterday that Syria had offered to send its security forces to protect the Afrin area but that the Kurds rejected that. Now Russia and Syria think that the best way to prevent the announced U.S. protectorate of Kurdish held territory in the north-east is to prove to the Kurds that the U.S. is unwilling to protect them and their brethren in Efrin from Turkish attacks. The Kurds had quite good relations with the Russians and to some extend also with the Syrian government. They then changed sides to get U.S. protection with the intent of splitting up Syria and anbing a big chunk for themselves. "Well, here is your payback. Now you will see what your new "allies" are willing to do for you." MOA content.

      Hank

      I now expect a rather short fight, minor losses of territory to Erdogan's goons and a lot of bloody noses."

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    3. after thinking about it I think is much more likely the the Turks are preventing Damascus from ever reestablishing sovereignty over the area. It will be a mini Libya or Afghanistan, constantly fought over by local warlords, and one which the US can operate out of with impunity to check the Iranian menace (such as it is)

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  2. Operation Olive Branch. I think I hear Orwell laughing hysterically.

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