Posted on 03/02/2017 9:13:14 AM PST by Texas Fossil
According to Rudaw News Agency, a group of “500 Rojavan Peshmerga” forces have been deployed to the border between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Syria’s autonomous region, Rojava, in northern Syria.
The fighters have been deployed to the area between Xanesor and Sinune, Rudaw reported.
The Peshmerga force, which is affiliated to the Kurdish National Council (KNC) is trained and equipped by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and has been sent to the area “to defend South Kurdistan (KRG) and Rojava”, a source said.
According to a report in the ANF New Agency, the 500-strong group tried to enter by force an area controlled by the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), a militia trained by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Local sources told ANF that the ‘Roj-Pesh’ as they are known, were sent to the area to force the YBS out. Many KDP Peshmergas with Hummer vehicles are also accompanying the group, the ANF reported. However the passage of the group has been prevented by the YBS and a tense wait ensues.
The move comes following diplomatic traffic between Erbil-Ankara and Erbil-Damascus. KRG President Massoud Barzani visited Ankara last week, while KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani is reported to have held talks in Damascus during the same period. High on the agenda of discussions was the entrance of ‘Roj-Pesh’ forces to Syria, several sources reported.
Commentators have said contradictions between the KDP and PKK in regards to their respective political projects and power sharing in the region are the cause of tensions. The KDP has also demanded that the PKK withdraw from Shingal, an area the force entered in 2014 to prevent the Islamic State (IS) attack on the Yazidi community. The latest development can be seen as a strategic move by the KDP to further pressure the PKK and groups affiliated to it ideologically and politically, a source told Kom News.
The deployment of ‘Roj-Pesh’ to Rojava, the autonomous region in northern Syria, has been a contentious issue for some time. The dominant Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) have rejected the presence of a separate force to the People’s Protection Units (YPG), saying it would lead to “internal fighting.” The Roj-Pesh would only be welcome if it fought under the umbrella of the YPG, which is seen as something of a ‘national army’, the parties said.
The KNC, which is the political umbrella of the Rojava Peshmerga and is a part of the Syrian National Council supported by Turkey, has pushed for 7,000 of its troops to be allowed to enter the autonomous region, saying it would bolster defence of the area.
Anas al-Abdah, the head of the SNC, also reportedly said recently that the Rojava Peshmergas would be included in the Euphrates Shield operation as a part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA). This is viewed as being an unlikely development with the Turkish-FSA currently attacking Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions in Manbij. The YPG is the largest component of the multi-ethnic SDF.
Now they want to send 500 Peshmerga soldiers to Syria to "help"?
There are things afoot here that don't pass smell test. The trust factor on the ground in Syria is not high.
I will not try to elaborate on this now, but this is a complicated mix in play. Not as it appears.
Erdogan is NOT to be trusted, ever. He never tells the truth. He is an enemy of freedom. He is an Islamist.
Syria Ping
No doggie in that fight. Tweet us when it is over.
Will Russia help us carve out a piece of Turkey to give to the Kurds? Their new ‘friends’ shot down a fighter plane. BTW-pun intended-lol.
Sounds like the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq, led by Barzani, is trying to garrison their forces (exert their administration) over the Iraqi area near the border with Syria (Singar, Shingal in Kurdish).
Part of its political rivalry with the PKK, but others in the region probably want the PKK out as well. Definitely Turkey does. Probably Baghdad does.
Now that ISIS is on the ropes, regional players are looking to expand their influence over the territories up for grabs.
Barzani’s Peshmerga seem to be attempting to regain their former administration over the Iraqi areas West of Sinjar to the Syrian border.
Barzani makes oil deals with him.
Turkey under Erdogan is in self destruct mode. He is making a grand play for part of Iraq and Syria. He never intended to end ISIS, only grab some more land and oil. And kill some more Kurds.
Syria? Assad is bad guy, but not as bad as ISIS. End ISIS, then deal with that Arrogant Islamist Erdogan.
Bye
Yes but: Russia has a dog in the fight. Perhaps the dealmaker POTUS can capitalize on it.
I am glad your leaving. You seem to be pushing a pro kurd agenda. Bye!!
I’ve honestly seen some signs that Russians are sympathetic to the Kurds. Kurds don’t trust Putin, and I understand that. They are bright people.
But Putin knows about the oil business and Kurdish region has some of that. So if you look at who the vultures that are poised to prey on the remains of Syria, that is the big chip area.
Yes, Trump and T-Rex understand all this. So do the Kurds. And so does Assad. Iran has an involvement, Assad being aligned with Iran. Odd couple marriage.
There is always multiple factors behind any big move in the Mid East.
Definitely Erdogan has long worked to cultivate Barzani’s KDP to compete against the PKK, but the KDP conversely was interested in cultivating the Turks to get their oil to market, without Baghdad stealing it all.
It might also be significant that the Russians (long term adversaries of the Turks) just made a major oil financing deal with the KDP. So they might be working for them (perhaps flushing out the PKK garrison, to get them to work in Syria, or something different, yet to come). It is still unclear what the American agenda is under the new administration (beyond destroying ISIS).
Even if no outsiders are involved, KDP would still want to consolidate all Kurdish areas in Iraq.
Note that KDP worked against the Turks when the YPG/PKK were under siege in Kobani by ISIS - Kurdish brotherhood sometimes trumps their internal rivalries, as it did in the relief of Mount Sinjar (Shingal). Alliances and enmities are frequently shifting in the Mid East.
Erdogan, I fear, is fundamentally (although somewhat covertly) against the US and Western values, as an islamist and a dictator at heart.
Barzani is a pragmatist, who has led his region to peace and prosperity (compared to the rest of Iraq), and protected American military members in the Kurdish areas, as if they were more precious than gold.
Fun Fact: After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and through the height of the sectarian violence in 2007-8-9, not one single American was killed in Barzani’s areas, while we endured loads of casualties elsewhere in Iraq.
Thanks. Yes, it is complicated.
That is a pretty compelling fun fact!
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