Posted on 10/11/2019 6:42:01 PM PDT by marshmallow
Damascus, Syria, Oct 8, 2019 / 05:00 pm (CNA).- Endangered Christian populations in the Middle East face renewed risks as the United States removes troops from Syria, a leading human rights group has warned.
On Oct. 6, the White House announced that Turkish forces would move in to northern Syria and that the United States would not have any military forces in the region. The announcement has caused widespread concern among Kurds in northern Syria and Iraq.
An ally of the United States, the Kurdish population includes many Yazidis and a handful of Christians. They have assisted the United States in its fight against ISIS and other extremist groups in the region.
Kurdistan is a disputed area distributed among Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, and Kurdish nationalists in Turkey have been the focus of sustained government oppression. The movement of Turkish military forces into Syria with U.S. support has raised concerns that they will wage a campaign against Kurds living there and placing renewed strain on Christian communities in the region.
In a statement released Monday, the group In Defense of Christians said they are “deeply concerned for the Christian and Yazidi communities of Northeast Syria should the Republic of Turkey move into the region,” and noted the region had been significantly depopulated of Christians in recent years.
“There are over 40,000 Christians in the Northeast, which is a dramatic decrease from the 130,000 Christians who lived in this area before the impact of ISIS and the Syrian Crisis.”
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
They could always let the Syrian army occupy the territory...
American neocons hate ME Christians.
They love Saudi & Qatari Islamists who have got oil & money.
“They could always let the Syrian army occupy the territory...”
You apparently don’t understand that that would raise the concerns about the Christians even more. Erdogan is as Islamist as ISIS, he just has his own country so his army is not seen as “terrorists”.
So if the Syrian army was occupying the region, then neither the Turks nor ISIS would be a threat to Christians.
“So if the Syrian army was occupying the region, then neither the Turks nor ISIS would be a threat to Christians.”
That’s what would have been.
Too much water has gone under the bridge since then and too many other players with their own interests, some natural and some just about power, are involved and think they have a stake now. Assad is going to have to make accommodations with someone in northern Syria at some point. Erdogan wants it to be him; the Kurds want Turkey out of it and Iraqi-like autonomy for them. Since Trump wants no part in it, it will be Russia and Iran that will sway Assad which way they want him to go. The recent reminder of that to Erdogan was given by the Iranian troops move to the border with Turkey.
Erdogan says his move is against the Kurds, but I am not sure Assad, the Russians or Iran are convinced that that is all Erdogan is about. He may yet he needs to “protect” ethnic Turks in northern Syria (many moved in by leaders of Syria, along with Arabs, to reduce Kurdish majorities in various places).
If I were the SDF/Kurds, I’d make a deal with Assad. It’s probably the best possible option available. You agree or think that likely?
“If I were the SDF/Kurds, I’d make a deal with Assad. It’s probably the best possible option available. You agree or think that likely?”
I think Assad can’t make a deal on his own say so. I think whether or not the Kurds can make a deal with “Assad” depends on Russia and the Mullahs in Tehran. I think that depends on what deals Erdogan is or will make with Russia and the Mullahs of Tehran.
If all of them are against the Kurds (which I think they are), the Kurds of northern Syria are kaput one way or another. Not only are they kaput, there will be massive retribution against them, from whomever takes over northern Syria - Erdogan or Assad.
It will all be on our heads.
Never get into a fight if you are not going to finish it. If you are in a fight, you do not make a deal with a bully that wants to enter that fight against one of your friends you are fighting with. You will lose many friends who won’t want to fight with you next time. They will see a stain on your character. They knew you were not afraid, you were too strong to be afraid. But you left anyway. There is no substitute word for betrayal.
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