Posted on 08/25/2017 9:14:45 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis pledged support to Turkey in its ongoing fight against rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) during talks with the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish and US officials said today.
The daylong visit was intended to help smooth fraught relations between the two NATO allies. The biggest thorn is the United States’ partnership against the Islamic State with the PKK’s Syrian franchise, the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Erdogan expressed anger over that alliance to Mattis during a half-hour meeting at the presidential complex. Mattis, in turn, repeated assurances that the US partnership with the YPG is solely tactical and confined to the campaign against IS.
Sources familiar with the substance of the talks confirmed reports in the Turkish media that Mattis had also discussed assisting Turkey against PKK militants based in the Qandil Mountains on the Iraq-Iran border and in the mainly Yazidi-populated Sinjar region on the Iraq-Syria border. The sources told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that US support would be “mainly on the intelligence and targeting side.” They dismissed claims by the Turkish press that US troops would carry out a joint ground offensive against the PKK in Sinjar. The Kurdistan Regional Government, a top US and Turkish ally, would also welcome US action to uproot the PKK from Sinjar.
(Excerpt) Read more at al-monitor.com ...
It is very hard for me to believe what the article says is true. If it is, it is because Secretary of Defense Mattis was ordered to do so. I was told by one of my sources that CentCom personnel have stated it is true, but not officially.
If it is true, it is a serious mistake. We have an incredibly good relationship with the Syrian Kurd lead SDF. Such a betrayal will be devastating to the War on Terror.
I normally post al Monitor articles in total. In this case I excerpted it. The author is based in the US and I don't personally know her or have her permission to do so.
Syria/Turkey Ping
Not good.
Erdogan is the modern-day Hitler of Europe.
You are correct.
Big mistake, but not unexpected.
This is the man who wanted to hire Anne Patterson, who implemented Obama’s Egypt policy of backing the Muslim Brotherhood.
Erdogan is an Islamist, jihadist. The Kurds are our allies.
Translation.. erdogone is #gettingPaid.. and Mattie is thumbs up. If true.
Also defended some of Hillary’s approach.
Good general, but.
Absolutely correct.
Erdogan is a literal fascist and an Islamic extremist to boot. The deep state owns the entire region and nothing but the marketing has changed.
The only reason Turkey is in Syria is to fight the Kurds. Their very first action was to bomb YPG units in Iraq and claim it was PKK. Our alliance with the Kurds has always been one of convenience. As I said on another post, the CIA will eventually teach the Kurds not to trust us. Trump has far too much faith in generals who are committed to a failed course.
And every Muslim in Europe is a foot-soldier for Erdogan.
Turkey should be cut in pieces:
- west of the Bosphorus to Greece
- the northeast to Armenia
- the southeast to a new independent Kurdish state (along with a hefty hunk of northwestern Iran)
Just leave a little rump state to Islamofacist Erogan.
It’s a mess,very confusing and a plethora of fake news and half truths usually by unnamed (usually fictional) people. Most could not define the various groups within the Kurdistan region nor tell the difference between Peshmerga and PKK.
Unfortunately, DC does not know which way is up on most any subject. Trump is surrounded by status quo, DC minds...
Leave Erdogan nothing by a 10x12 cell.
“the CIA will eventually”
My hope is that the elements of the CIA that cause problems will be expunged totally.
Yes, and I think Trump knows it.
The Turds want to fight the Kurds in Syria and so is IRAN. So why, SEC Mattis, are you doing this? Is Trump listening to the globalists? Is Mattis a globalist? Aaaarrrrrgggghhhh.
Now that sounds like a plan WITH A GOAL.
If he keeps it up James “mad dog” Mattis will soon be known at James “poodle” Mattis. He has done nothing but antagonize two of America’s only allies in the Middle East, Egypt and Kurdistan.
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