At the Syrian-Turkish Border
Turkey has announced that its troops will fire on any Kurds remaining near the Turkish border:
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s foreign minister said Monday that his country’s military will attack any Syrian Kurdish fighter that remains along the border area in northeast Syria after a deadline for them to leave expires.
Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters that Russian and Syrian officials provided information that some Kurdish fighters had pulled out of the border area, but others still had not. The Kurdish withdrawal is in line with a Russian-Turkish agreement reached last week.
The Syrian Kurdish fighters have until 3 p.m. GMT Tuesday to pull back to positions about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Turkish border. Turkey and Russia will conduct joint patrols along a border strip once the Kurdish forces leave. Cavusoglu said a Russian military delegation was scheduled to arrive in Turkey to discuss the planned joint patrols.
Turkey is to keep sole control of a large section in the center of the border, most of which it captured in its invasion launched Oct. 9. Turkey wanted to drive the U.S.-allied Kurdish forces out of a “safe zone” along the border, after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled American troops from the area. Syrian Kurdish forces have turned to Russia and the Syrian government in Damascus for protection. – article
There has never been anything but warfare in the Middle East, not since people started domesticating wheat and barley, cattle, sheep and goats, and learned how to build houses to live in. Unless or until something changes drastically, that won’t stop.
I don’t know if I’ll eat the Publix Turkey and cheese hero I bought yesterday after reading the above. Turkey in the hay, turkey in the straw, bop bop bop bop bop.
“…..will attack any Syrian Kurdish fighter ……..”
And how do you tell a Syrian Kurd from a Turkish Kurd?
What a fustercluck! I have tried to read and study on who are the sheep and who are the goats. No joy on that. I do have some sympathies for the Kurds but can never tell which Kurds I should have it for. Have learned from the other commentators here that one group of them have helped us in the past and are worthy of our continued support. I’m OK with that. I’m guessing that that group may and or may not be part of the Kurds we left hanging after DS. Being a student of history and having grown older and served thru the “Cold War” I have absolutely no trust or use for the Turkish or Russian gubmints. When either of them have no external enemies to fight, they start by killing off their own citizens.
I feel that I have to agree with what has been stated /posted here before. The Russians want the oil to help get the world price back up and the Turks want to re-establish the Ottoman Empire. Apparently both are willing to risk WW3 to accomplish that. Just as the demon rats are willing to risk WW3 by foiling President Trump on his attempt to fulfill his campaign promise of getting us the eff out of the ME Wars.
Let them goat effing people continue to kill one another for all eternity, or just nuke the whole area from orbit. Either way works for me. YMMV
The only country that I have a lot of concern and sympathy for is Israel (Zionist conspiracy theorist have to be some of the dumbest people around, heck we once had an admiral that was one). The only Muslim country I have any respect for is Jordan (in fact, I would like to go see Petra one of these days). The rest of the Middle East, I honestly couldn’t care less about.
Trump has US forces stationed on those oil fields in NW Syria to keep them from a re-constituting ISIS, and anyone else, and to let the Kurds and US/EXXON benefit. Win-win. The Kurds have a guaranteed income stream and EXXON, its subsidiaries and share holders will profit. Not specifically mentioned, but EXXON will also pay for the US military presence. Capitalism, it’s what’s for dinner.
Pentagon echoes Trump, says securing Syrian oil fields is top priority after ISIS leader’s death
Amanda Macias
CNBC Link
UPDATE: Some genius Turkish commander ordered a mortar attack on a Russian MP convoy yesterday…
Turks and Russians hate each other. Lots more of this will occur.
That’s a shame….