[Texas Fossil]

Many of you know that for the past 3 years I have been heavily involved following the Syrian Kurds battles with ISIS from Kobani to Deir Ezzor.

Throughout this I've come to like and respect Syrian Kurds deeply. The number killed fighting for freedom from oppression is large.

This is one of the most moving statements about their treatment that I have read.

It reminds me of what was done to the Armenians in this region in 1915.

Please read this. This should not be how mankind acts toward another human being.

[Texas Fossil]

Syria Ping

[mrmeyer]

I don’t like edrogan and the Turks. I don’t shed tears for dead communists.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Those “Turkeys” are not our friends!

[PAR35]

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)

Might be a bit more accurate to say Kurdistan Communist Party. Marxist-Leninist.

Islamic Communists against Islamic militants.

I think I'll sit that one out.

[DUMBGRUNT]

Somehow this event from U.S. history feels connected.

https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/robert-gould-shaw

Initially assigned to manual labor details, the 54th did not see real action until a skirmish with Confederate troops at James Island on July 16. Two days later, Shaw and his men were among the units chosen to lead the assault on Battery Wagner, part of the defenses of Charleston. Shaw was killed in the charge, bravely urging his men forward, but the 54th had proven that they were as brave as anyone, black or white.

Confederate General Johnson Hagood refused to return Shaw’s body to the Union army, and to show contempt for the officer who led black troops, Hagood had Shaw’s body buried in a common trench with his men. Rather than considering this a dishonor, Shaw’s father proclaimed “We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers....We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company – what a body-guard he has!”

[DoughtyOne]

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[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

This is clearly in the domain of war crimes, so the best response is to both develop a list of those individuals involved, then present it to permanent war crimes tribunals to request European and international arrest warrants.

The Bosnian war resulted in many such arrest warrants, and many of them were pursued, and there were even some convictions obtained.

Once this information has been filed, then just a public relations struggle needs to be conducted to force the tribunals to act, or lose all credibility in the future.

If nothing else, if a single responsible individual is sanctioned, it opens the door to many other such things. It means they cannot travel outside of Turkey or face arrest. It also means that any bank accounts or investments outside of Turkey can be seized. It also means that their faces will adorn wanted posters as war criminals, first in the rest of Europe, and then in Turkey itself.

With enough pressure, the government of Turkey will at first resist, but eventually will give up such war criminals for prosecution. It will put a damper on such activities by their military in the future.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Ironically enough I believe the Kurdish irregulars acted for the Turks in the Armenian Genocide.

No, I do not believe in generational or collective guilt. I tend to like the Kurds as a general rule.

Still, it is ironic.

[Does so]

bmk for FYI

[Cronos]

Not to be pedantic, but the Armenian genocide was, to a large extent, committed by Kurds under Ottoman direction.