Posted on 02/24/2016 7:32:14 AM PST by Trumpinator
Hammond: 'Disturbing evidence' that Kurds are coordinating with Syrian regime and Russia
Foreign Secretary says UK "uneasy" about Kurdish role in Syria, as YPG forces take advantage of northern offensive to take territory from US-backed rebels
By Louisa Loveluck
7:52PM GMT 23 Feb 2016
Britain has seen "disturbing evidence" that Kurdish forces are coordinating with the Syrian regime and the Russian air force, the Foreign Secretary has said.
The Kurdish YPG, which has become the West’s main ground force against Isil, has taken advantage of a massive regime offensive in north Syria to seize territory of its own from US-backed rebels, effectively leaving Washington in a proxy war with itself.
"What we have seen over the last weeks is very disturbing evidence of coordination between Syrian Kurdish forces, the Syrian regime and the Russian air force which are making us distinctly uneasy about the Kurds' role in all of this," Philip Hammond told Parliament on Tuesday.
After years of marginalisation at the hands of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Syria’s Kurds have emerged as one of the war’s key power brokers, enjoying the support of both Washington and Moscow, even as the two powers square off on opposing sides of the conflict.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
For Pete's sake.....
I see this as a natural alliance and a good thing.
Yeah I see nothing disturbing about this. Many of the rebels are competing terrorist organizations to ISIS.
Why wouldn’t they after having the West turn its back?
Russia is opposed to the Kurds’ long term enemy, Turkey. Duh.
Agreed - a nonsense article. The Kurds have been under assault and threat of extermination from Sunnis and the Turks for centuries.
So now someone comes along who is battling both - and we are all shocked the Kurds may be helping them?
The US built up a lot of pro-Kurdish credits after Iraqi Freedom. Sounds like the article is an attempt to begin portraying them in a negative light now that they will oppose Obama’s proxy wars in Syria with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
We send weapons and supplies to a “moderate” Arab rebel group. Then that group (and its weapons and supplies) end up either captured or merged with ISIS or al Nusra (al Qaida). Rinse and repeat.
At least when the Kurds get weapons, there is little chance it will end up in ISIS or al Qaida’s hands.
The West has two competing priorities, and it is likely that trying to do both will result in winning at neither. (those being removing Assad and defeating ISIS)
The smart thing to do would be to hold our nose, and coordinate with Assad in defeating ISIS and al Qaida.
I see this as a natural alliance and a good thing.
I agree. The Kurds have been begging the US and the West to help them for decades. We refused to arm them to fight Sadaam, or ISIS because Turkey was our so-called ally.
Now they have someone who finds them of value. Too bad we have such weak leadership.
Exactly... how is that “disturbing” when the US refuses to equip them? The Kurds aren’t going to ally themselves with Obama’s chosen terrorists.
It is not the article that is nonsense it is the by the UK’s foreign minister. Honestly, it seems the west’s foreign policy is ruled by morons or Saudis (not much of a difference).
Kurds are taking territory from “US-backed rebels” - i.e., those al-Qaeda a-holes - and we’re supposed to feel sorry for al-Qaeda??
No way. Ain’t gonna happen. Zero sympathy for the pukes who created 9-11. Zero sympathy for Turkey and its support of the ISIS a-holes.
Go Kurds.
they cant trust Americas foreign policy so they are going to the Russians and the Syrians...after world war two America had earned a lot of goodwill and trust between Obama, Carter Johnson and democratic legislature we squandered that trust. I am sure that the Kurds would not be working with Syria or Russia if they thought they had better options.
Kurds are the only Muslims (Kurds are not Arabs) in the region whose goals are to create a secular modern state along Europeans sensibilities including freedom for women from traditional tribal/religious restrictions.
Of course they’re siding with Syria and Russia. The west is supporting Turkey and Turkey supports isis and is bombing the Kurds. Sheesh!
I agree...
Obama and his clowns have allowed genocide in the region so why should they trust the USA? We’ve let them down time and time again.
I don’t consider it disturbing. What I consider disturbing is the leadership of the Obama administration.
Disturbing? What is so disturbing about wanting to live?
What’s disturbing? The Syrian government, the Russians, and the Kurds all want Syria to be stable. The terrorists in Syria and the terrorist in our White House want instability. I’ll side with the Kurds!
They’re stuck between a bunch of crazy barbarian ISIS f!@#$, and the Turks who want them dead. Of course they’re going to seek an alliance with the Russians and Syrians. I bet they didn’t even bother with dealing with the US, no thanks to obama and his asshat buddy kerry.
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