The political sands of Syria's war continue to shift

Things have changed so much in the region since the attempted coup in Turkey that the regional alliances might be unrecognisable by November at this rate.
The latest flashpoint is in Hasakah.

First of all, consider that the U.S. is now throwing around threats.

Just when you thought US foreign policy could not get more absurd. Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, who is listed as “commander of US forces in Iraq and Syria,” has issued a warning to the Syrian military that if its counter-insurgency operations on Syrian soil leave US troops on Syrian soil “feeling threatened,” the US military would “defend itself.”

That needs to be broken down to even be believed.

The Syrian military is fighting an armed uprising on its own soil. The US government is training and equipping several factions of that armed insurgency, in this case the Kurdish YPG militia. The US military is also operating on Syrian soil alongside and in support of the YPG militia. Members of the YPG militia have, over the past several days, been firing on Syrian government forces. The Syrian air force returns fire on its own soil and the US military that is illegally operating on Syrian soil issues a warning to the Syrian government to stop firing on insurgents on Syrian soil!

This is a good moment to remind you that Obama promised "no boots on the ground" in Syria 16 times, and there is no AUMF for our forces to even be there.
This would be considered a disaster, unless you consider it an opportunity.

Lt. Gen. Townsend pointedly threatened both Russia and Syria over recent flights and airstrikes around the northeastern city of Hasakeh.
Townsend said he’d “informed” the Russians that US warplanes are prepared to defend US troops on the ground if they feel threatened in future strikes in and around Hasakeh....
US officials, on the other hand, seem to see this as a great opportunity to transition from the war against ISIS, which despite all their rhetoric isn’t accomplishing much, and into a war against Syria’s government, which they see as a more straightforward, and potentially more winnable, battle.
US intelligence officials have been arguing that point since last year, and State Department officials have also been pushing the idea of shifting the war to one of regime change, on the idea that the pro-US rebels are never going to get anywhere unless the US props them up as a government first.
That said, attacking Syrian warplanes over Syria is almost certain to quickly bring the Russians into the war as well, which is why it has in practice been unthinkable to do so. Despite that obvious problem looming just over the horizon, however, US officials are still eagerly rushing forward on a confrontation.

Yeh, nothing like taking on both Damascus and Moscow after 15 years of failing to defeat al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Has anyone considered that maybe this is a fight we shouldn't be involved in? A fight that the American people don't want? A fight that easily lead to a bloody quagmire?

Meanwhile, Turkey has promised to "be playing a more active role" in Syria. To demonstrate this new policy, they are preparing to invade Syria with their own rebel army.

The rebels, Turkish-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified.
"The factions are gathering in an area near the border (inside Turkey)," the rebel said.
Another rebel source said they were gathering at a Turkish military camp near the town of Qarqamish just opposite Jarablus.

The rebel forces are mostly being drawn from non-ISIS jihadists.
Consider that just the other day, Turkey and Iran agreed on a Syrian peace plan. Since they back opposite sides in this war, that seems bizarre. But they have something in common.

However, Turkey and Iran have large Kurdish communities and both appear to be concerned about Syria's Kurds gaining more areas under their control on the border with Turkey. Ankara also considers the YPG a terrorist organization because of its links to Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

In fact, this Turkey-Iran alliance is exactly what the Syrian Kurds are blaming for this new conflict.
Turkey is quickly building alliances with Russia since the coup.

Lastly, has everyone already forgotten that our allies in Iraq are fighting on the side of the Assad government, and might not be happy about this new war?

Since fighting broke out in Syria on March 18, 2011, young Iraqi Shiite fighters of several other militias, including the Brigade of Abu al Fadl al Abbas, the Zulfikar brigade and the Iraq Hezbollah brigades, have been flocking to Syria to fight alongside the Syrian army and its ally, Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah, against the mostly Sunni Syrian opposition factions...
This Shiite need to widen the conflict to places with Shiite holy sites led some to accuse Shiites of fighting a proxy war for Iran in Syria.

After 15 years of failing to defeat sheep herders with AK-47s, lets start a war against Damascus, Tehran, Baghdad, Moscow, and maybe Ankara just for kicks! Why not!

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tapu dali's picture

America has been at war since even before the Revolution.

The Revolution was fought so the colonists could invade and annex Indian lands and expel or murder the auchthononous peoples therein.

Since then, the US has tried to annex Canada, has annexed parts of Mexico, Cuba, the Philippines, etc.

Mussolini declared war on and annexed Ethiopia for its oil. He then defied the League of Nations and proclaimed, "Oil means war", meaning that Italy would respond with force of arms to any attempt to deprive it of the oil it needed.

Sound familiar?

What else is new?

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

It might just be time to get out of the mess altogether. We don't have any meaningful interests at stake, since the Bush oil grab in Iraq came to naught. We don't have any reliable friends except the Kurds, whom everybody else opposes. We have no allies in Syria except the Kurds, who are only active in a tiny corner of the northeastern part of the country.

If only we had a government, or even a party, which could see the wisdom of minding our own damn business in this matter. The Greens are just not enough.

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Please help support caucus99percent!

RantingRooster's picture

we don't need no stinking international law, UN Charter, Geneva Conventions, US constitution, Federal Statutes, we have a new decider, Barry O to the rescue.

At what point does it become necessary to overthrow our government, to save humanity?

Gee, we have money for bombs, but not for the people of Flint nor Louisiana, or for the fires raging in California.

At what point to we admit our government is completely out of control, lost any and all perspective and needs to be replaced, by force (if required), BECAUSE circumstances have become NECESSARY?

For 15 years our government has waged war across this planet, on a god damn feeling "Terror", yet what our government is doing, is STATE TERRORISM!

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C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote

Azazello's picture

Just when you thought US foreign policy could not get more absurd. Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, who is listed as “commander of US forces in Iraq and Syria,” has issued a warning to the Syrian military that if its counter-insurgency operations on Syrian soil leave US troops on Syrian soil “feeling threatened,” the US military would “defend itself.”

Feeling threatened ? Isn't this exactly the same rationale that gun nuts and killer cops use ?

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

lotlizard's picture

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What happens if they win?

Soldiers from the Kurdish YPG have launched a major assault to seize the last government-controlled areas of the northeastern Syrian city of Hasaka, after a Russian mediation team failed to mend the rift between the two sides.

The YPG began the offensive after midnight to take the southeastern district of Nashwa, close to where a security compound is located near the governor's office close to the heart of the city, according to YPG sources and residents.

The YPG, or the People's Protection Units, has ties to Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

It had earlier captured Ghwairan, the only major Arab neighbourhood in Hasaka still in government hands....

"To all the elements of the regime and its militias who are besieged in the city you are targeted by our units," leaflets distributed by the YPG said.

"This battle is decided and we will not retreat ... We call on you to give up your weapons or count yourselves dead."

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detroitmechworks's picture

Therefore, dragging it out is just going to piss off everybody who has to hear it.

While the MSM screams at Dr. Stein for wanting to end this bullshit, they fail to realize it's the ONLY sane response.

In a world ruled by madmen, being sane is to be thought mad.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

tapu dali's picture

Where Ignorance is Bliss, 'tis Folly to be Wise.

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

Well, I can't really imagine what Syria will look if Hillary is elected. Whatever it is, it won't be good.

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I did some searches and here are some results

Early Kurdish Nationalism from wikipedia

The nationalist movement among the Kurdish people first emerged in the late 19th century with an uprising in 1880 led by Sheik Ubeydullah. Many Kurds worked with other opponents of the Ottoman regime within the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP). A growth in ethnic consciousness at the start of the 20th century was spearheaded by the Society for the Advancement of Kurdistan (SAK). Some Kurdish nationalist groups agitated for secession, others for autonomy.

During the First World War, while some Kurdish nationalists were working with the British and Russian enemy powers, Kurdish tribal forces were fighting alongside Ottoman troops on the Russian front. Deaths and displacements occurred on a large scale among Kurdish civilians due to wartime conditions and deliberate ethnic cleansing policies.

There was a brief opportunity for Kurdish nationalism after World War I with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Western powers (particularly the United Kingdom) promised the Kurds they would act as guarantors for Kurdish freedom, a promise they subsequently broke. Some of the autonomist Kurdish groups received British support leading up to the Treaty of Sèvres (1920), which prepared for local autonomy for the Kurdish regions and envisaged later independence. Opposition from Kemal Atatürk, leader of the new nation-state of Turkey, and changes in British policy, prevented such a result. Following the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) the Kurdish territory was partitioned between Turkey, the French mandate of Syria, the British mandate of Iraq, and Persia.

Mix into this mess, new Sultan in Turkey, Erdogan, Russia, Iran, US, Iraq, refugees, ISIS, etc., etc., Israel,

and global warming

and all the superpowers horses, and all the superpowers drones, cannot put things back together again

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Eventually I'll move these over to C99P

Part I
Part II
Part III

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tapu dali's picture

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.