Posted on 10/13/2019 2:20:25 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Syrian government troops will deploy along the border with Turkey to help Kurdish fighters fend off Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria, the Kurds said Sunday, hours after President Donald Trump ordered all U.S. troops to withdraw from the area to avoid getting caught in the middle of the fast-escalating conflict.
The announcement represents a major shift in alliances for Syria’s Kurds after they were abandoned by the U.S., with whom they were longtime partners in the fight against the Islamic State group.
Adding to the turmoil, hundreds of Islamic State families and supporters escaped from a holding camp in northern Syria amid heavy clashes between Turkish forces and the Kurds.
The dizzying developments reflected the rapidly growing chaos that has unfolded in the week since Trump ordered U.S. forces in the region to step aside, clearing the way for the Turkish attack on the Kurdish fighters it considers terrorists.
Trump’s decision has been broadly condemned at home and abroad by critics who accuse him of betraying the Kurds, who long fought alongside the U.S. to help defeat the Islamic State group in Syria.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said all American troops will withdraw from northern Syria because of the increasing danger posed by the fighting.
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Imagine that.
America leaves, the war escalates with different dance partners.
Thank you President Trump for getting us out of that mess. Time for the Saudis to fight their own battles too - they can afford to buy the equipment. (Yeah, they suck at fighting...) The IDF can keep training them.
They will likely give the Kurds assistance similar to what we provided, that is artillery and air support, including some air defense. It seems the Kurds were forced by our pull out to actually engage Assad on diplomatic terms and make some sort of deal.
While Syria is no match for Turkey, the introduction of Syrian Government forces changes the legal and moral balance. We shall also see if Erdogan is willing to commit the forces and casualties required to overcome the combined Syrian/Kurdish forces.
Seeing on twitter from peeps on ground that US forces prevented massacre by blocking road..no idea if true
Sounds like a plan to me. Side-step any issues regarding having to oppose our "NATO ally", and let Turkey know that, if they get into a conflict with Russia, we are staying out and let them fight Russia themselves.
Seems like a lot of propaganda baghdad bob style going on right now
> Since Turkey is a NATO country, does the U.S. have to come to their defense? <
No. Turkey is the aggressor here. Now, if the Syrian army had started things by crossing over into Turkey, that would be a different story.
Assad has much to gain by a Kurd alliance. In exchange for a degree of autonomy, they can keep a kid on the Sunni Arabs (ISIS) and thus increase his regime's stability.
Plus Assad is more reliable than the US, sad to say.
Like Assad respected Syria’s or Iraq’s borders when he supported the insurgents and AIQ fighting Coalition troops in Iraq. Then the insurgents morphed into ISIS and bit him. Boo-hoo. Hope Turkey crushes SAA, Iran and Russia-in-Syria. Bunch of hot heads and posers. I’ll gladly watch it burn down to ashes.
Not that I’m bitter or anything. When in Rome....
Ron Paul was right folks but he was laughed at and his supporters were banned here and other conservative blogs in 2008.
Nothing. Only place I ever saw or even knew of the bombings was right here in FReeperville.
Since Turkey is not allowed to use its air force, the Syria AF will bomb the snot out of them.
Syria is no match for Turkey
For the most part, they are obstructing terrorist fighters trying to enter Syria, and blocking terrorist arm shipments.
USA troops are also defending the relatively small Syrian oil fields north and east of the Euphrates River.
What is Europe doing to help out?
Nothing that I know about.
Guess who said, referring to the gas attacks in Syria last year, "The evil and the despicable attack left mothers and fathers, infants and children, thrashing in pain and gasping for air. These are not the actions of a man; they are crimes of a monster instead."
IIRC that's what the NEOCONS have been telling us so we can do a, you know, 'regime change'.
Turkey is invading another country.
They are on the offense.
Maybe if turkey was getting attacked on their own country. I can’t see us coming to turkeys aid if Syria attacks Turkish forces in Syria. That would be stupid ifvwe did.
Foreign Policy wise, though Obama screwed the pooch first here, Trump made an idiotic move.
This just opened up Pandora’s box and I’m willing to bet a few hundred shekels, that before all is said and done the IDF will have gotten involved and folks here thumping their chest about this move will be cleaning out their underwear after they learn about the fallout.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.