Today in front of the hospital in Afrin! Unutterable expression on the face of this Kurdish man from Alikhero village of Rajo in #Afrin after loosing his wife and children in a mortar attack. His hands were still covered with beloved ones’ bloods...
Today in front of the hospital in Afrin! Unutterable expression on the face of this Kurdish man from Alikhero village of Rajo in #Afrin after loosing his wife and children in a mortar attack. His hands were still covered with beloved ones’ bloods...
Erdogan isn’t going to like the idea we’re going to work with the locals taking control....
I really don’t care. Let them kill each other.
The Secretary of Defense only came out with this statement after the Secretary of State’s visit to Turkey. I take this to represent the coordinated US position - likely coordinated with other key allies, before putting it to Turkey, or going public.
It seems that the Turkish attack has failed, and that big reinforcements to try again are likely off the table now that International condemnation has solidified into such public statements. Those public statements are no doubt reinforced by “carrot and stick” incentives, which were privately delivered.
The Turks might not stop on their own out of stubbornness or to save face domestically, but their chances of conquering Afrin seem to have dropped into the unlikely range.
This statement by SecDef comes right after a major NATO meeting - obviously coordinated.
He specifically mentioned that Italy and Spain were also working with Turkey on this issue, and specifically mentioned the air defense systems that they provide in Turkey. That sounds like a threat.