News Dump Wednesday: Does anyone still care about the war edition?

Manbij is a HUUUGGGEE issue

A high-ranking representative of the Syrian Democratic Forces, who wished not to disclose his name, has told Sputnik Turkiye that the US is "taking all necessary measures" to defend the Syrian city of Manbij from an attack by the Turkish military. It has set up a military base in the city and hung up its flag as a "warning sign" to Ankara.

That's probably an exaggeration, but it's a fact that the U.S. has troops based around Manbij.
Turkey says Manbij is next

Turkey-backed forces will move toward the northern Syrian town of Manbij after completing their operation in al-Bab as originally planned, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
In a news conference in Ankara before embarking on an official visit to Pakistan, Erdogan also said the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia - which Turkey regards as a terrorist organization - should be moved out to the east of the Euphrates river.
Erdogan also ruled out any chance of cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the Syrian Kurdish militia.

Meanwhile, the FSA jihadists aren't waiting

Clashes broke out in Syria on Wednesday between Turkish-backed rebels from the Free Syria Army (FSA) and members of the largely Kurdish, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to local media reports.
The fighting broke out just west of the strategic northern town of Manbij, close to the Turkish border.
The Turkish military is providing artillery support to the FSA rebels involved in the fight, according to Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, which quoted the Russian news site Sputnik.
The Turkish-backed forces were reported to be making quick progress through villages to the west of Manbij.

Syrian army retaking Palmyra

Russian-backed Syrian government forces and their allies recaptured the historic Palmyra citadel, on the city's western outskirts, from Islamic State fighters on Wednesday, a military media unit run by Hezbollah said.
The Syrian army also seized a modern palatial complex to the southwest, it said, in advances that brought it closer to storming the city and driving back the jihadists.

time running out for ISIS

The Iraqi military claimed to shut down the Islamic State's last escape route out of western Mosul and was poised to take control of government buildings amid heavy fighting, Iraqi leaders said Wednesday.

However, it's going to get horrific

"He's not Iraqi. He's probably not an Arab," said Mohammadawi, judging the man by his appearance and imperfect spelling. "The closer we get to the center, the more we come up against the foreigners".
Unlike Iraqi militants who can blend in with civilians and possibly slip through the net of security forces, foreign fighters have no escape and will therefore fight to the end. Mohammadawi said: "They don't flee like the locals".
There are noticeably more foreign militants in the western half of the city than the east, which Iraqi forces cleared one month ago after 100 days of fighting, Mohammadawi added.

Nexit?

As a March 15 parliamentary election looms in the Netherlands — one of the founding members of the European Union — popular lawmaker Geert Wilders is dominating polls with an isolationist manifesto that calls for the Netherlands “to be independent again. So out of the EU.”
After Britons voted last year to divorce from the EU, could a Dutch departure — known here as “Nexit,” after “Brexit” — be close behind?
“I see the European Union as an old Roman Empire that is ceasing to exist. It will happen,” Wilders said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Wilders’ Party for Freedom is a serious contender to win the popular vote, with most polls a month out from the election showing it ahead of all other parties. Over the past dozen years, the Dutch have already voted in referenda against EU proposals twice.
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MarilynW's picture

the murder rate in the USA. Every time I hear it, I think of the proliferation of guns in the USA. I wonder if T. & co. ever make that connection.

Syria, how many countries/factions are attacking that beleaguered country at this point? And what will be left of it when/if this conflict ends?

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To thine own self be true.

@MarilynW

... Syria, how many countries/factions are attacking that beleaguered country at this point? And what will be left of it when/if this conflict ends?

If the invaders have their way, probably fossil fuels/pipelines. Just no non-corporate, actual civilian life...

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

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studentofearth's picture

I try and keep up on the info in the foreign press, since the major domestic MSM profides little reporting. But, you always have more current info than where I am reading. Please keep up the great work.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Not Henry Kissinger's picture

Nice alliance you got there, Europe. Shame if anything were to happen to it.

Of course, the Turks and the Greeks have been 'allies-in-name-only' since they were both first admitted (see Cyprus, et al.), but the Turks and US actually fighting is a vastly higher level of 'tension'.

The Iraqi military claimed to shut down the Islamic State's last escape route out of western Mosul and was poised to take control of government buildings amid heavy fighting, Iraqi leaders said Wednesday.

Something Obama could have done months ago but didn't because he wanted to let the ISIS fighters 'retreat' to Deir Ezzor.

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

@Not Henry Kissinger useful purpose will have been served.

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

@Not Henry Kissinger

Why do the wrong heads always seem to roll?

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Steven D's picture

and the TV never talks about war so it must exist in another, alternate universe. Besides, Syria isn't that sexy a war. Of course, if we invade Iran or shoot down some Russkie warbirds, well that's a different story - one that will air 24/7 with lots of repetitive Pentagon approved footage and reporters talking to other reporters about what they don't know in their oh so knowing ways.

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"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

earthling1's picture

@Steven D Americans seem brain dead. Even with all the recent townhalls, the majority of Americans are intellectually numb. Bombbarded with fake news, conflicting narratives and spin.
"If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance baffle 'em with bullshit".
Some will say it's just information overload, but it's more than that.
It's like trying to separate the fake news from the real news when it's all fake.
But we have to sort through all of it before we discover there is no truth.
Meanwhile, they have successfully delivered their propaganda.
Brilliant. Goebbels would be proud.
When you become President make propaganda a jailable offense.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

@earthling1

... When you become President make propaganda a jailable offense.

And please hurry, while there's anything left to salvage!

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

CB's picture

On Feb 12, after the fall of Al Bab, Erdogan said his army would continue on to Raqqah. Shortly afterwards, the SAA completely cut off Al Bab from Raqqa by moving north to connect with the YPG held territories around Manbij. The SAA shelled Turkish allied forces towards Al Bab to lock them in.

On Feb 27, Erdogan said he will now end his advance into Syria by taking Manbij. But, as this diary shows, the US supported YPG is preventing that from happening.
Recent photo of US special forces with SDF in Manbij
(if you close the photo window, you will see a map of the area that you can interact with)

Only two big prizes left in Syria, Raqqah and Deir ez-Zor. I expect the SAA to now move eastwards towards Raqqah, cleaning up the remainder of Aleppo province. The forces now retaking Palmyra will most likely continue on towards Deir ez-Zor and clean out the oil/gas fields in the area.

ISIS' days in Syria and Iraq are now numbered. They have served their masters well. Iraq and Syria have been completely shattered and are now left with deep, weeping wounds which will continue to fester for many generations to come. They have been castrated and neutered - fait accompli.

Iran, Russia and China are now squarely in America's gun sights. Watch the drums-of-war rhetoric start to get louder and louder in the western MSM. Independent nationalistic states anywhere on the globe are a direct threat to US world hegemony and therefore must be destroyed.

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@CB

Erdogan said he will now end his advance into Syria by taking Manbij. But, as this diary shows, the US supported YPG is preventing that from happening.

FSA/ES jihadists have launched a full-scale attack on YPG around Manbij.

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CB's picture

@gjohnsit
sent in a week ago.

Here's from 3 hrs ago
https://twitter.com/cudisinan/status/837034168152440832

The Kurds seem to be holding their own to the south of Manbij.
https://twitter.com/cudisinan

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I've been trying to get people to pay attention to this ticking time bomb at Manbij (here and here).
Well, now the political fuse has been lit.

Russian aircraft mistakenly struck U.S.-backed forces in northern Syria, a U.S. general said Wednesday.
The airstrikes resulted in some casualties among the Syrian Arab force, said Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of coalition forces supporting Iraqi and Syrian forces battling the Islamic State. He did not say how many people were injured.
The Russians likely believed they were hitting Islamic State targets and ceased the strikes on Tuesday once they were notified by U.S. forces, Townsend told reporters during a video press briefing.

Watch heads explode on TOP if/when they discover this happened.

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@gjohnsit

Hey, US 'friendly fire' is pretty much routine, isn't it? Oh, wait, US only...

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Wink's picture

following this crap becuz, well, nothing changes. Or will change.
I recently overheard a couple of GI Joes talking about the M.E., and I just looked them in the eyes and said, "we need to get the fuck out. yesterday." The older guy gave me an mmm hmm, mmm hmm (basically rolling his eyes) while the young kid was jaw-dropping wide-eyed stunned. Yes, kid, there actually are people opposed to G. Dubya's War on Terra.

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.