Posted on 02/22/2018 6:30:37 AM PST by Texas Fossil
“The Turkish attacks and invasion against Afrin, canton of the autonomous Region of Rojava – Northern Syria, part of the sovereign State of Syria, are an aggression violating international law”, said author and economist Thomas Benedikter.
Author and economist Thomas Benedikter spoke to the ANF about the Turkish state’s invasion operation against Afrin that has left one month behind amid intensifying attacks and clashes.
Remarking that Afrin has been one of the most safe and stable regions in Syria during the 7 years of war in Syria, Benedikter recalled that the region has welcomed and accommodated hundreds of thousands of refugees in a number equal to its own population. He said: “Afrin did not bring forward any operations on Turkish territory, but its political leadership along with the leadership of the whole Region of Rojava Northern Syria has repeatedly assured that its military forces are exclusively for self-defence purposes of the democratic federation of Northern Syria.”
Benedikter agrees that the Turkish attacks and invasion against Afrin, canton of the autonomous Region of Rojava – Northern Syria, part of the sovereign State of Syria, are an aggression violating international law. He underlines that; “Bombing civilian population, destroying defence structures, productive areas and public infrastructure is a violation also of the fundamental values and principles of the Council of Europe to which Turkey is a member. Furthermore, Turkey’s aggression against Afrin and Rojava in violation of international law is unacceptable for the alliance of democratic States NATO. Not only should this war of aggression be condemned by the UN, but the Turkish leadership should also be subjected to the International Court of Justice. Turkey, member-state of the Council of Europe, is to be held responsible for crimes and terror under international humanitarian law against the Kurdish people, other ethnic and religious minorities of that region, the Arab population at large and refugees hosted in the Autonomous region.”
Pointing out that the SDF and YPG of Rojava not only have preserved the stability and security of the autonomous Region of Rojava, but have also decisively contributed to defeat Da’esh (IS), Benedikter continued; “As ground forces in cooperation with the alliance fighting Da’esh these forces bore the main burden with heavy losses in lives. Now they are under attack of a State, which has deliberately contributed to the rise and spread of IS-terror-regime in Syria and Iraq. Millions of Europeans, thousands Tyroleans are ashamed that the European governments are not actively supporting and acting in solidarity with Rojava-Northern Syria to put an immediate stop on Turkish terror in Afrin. We deeply regret the silence and passivity in large parts of the public opinion and civil society in Europe, forgetting the Kurdish victims in the war against IS. We call upon the US, Russia and the UN to act immediately to protect the population of Rojava, first of all installing a no-fly-zone over Afrin and the whole area of Northern Syria.”
The Autonomous Province of Bozen – South Tyrol has expressed its solidarity with the population and the democratic experiences in Rojava – Northern Syria with its resolution n.663/206, approved on 15.9.2016 in the local Parliament. The Autonomous Council and Government of South Tyrol will reiterate its solidarity with the Kurds and other minority groups sharing the area of Rojava and Northern Syria in March 2018.
“The local NGOs are pressing these institutions to actively engage with the Italian Parliament and Government in order to preserve and defend the democratic confederalism of Rojava and its free, multicultural, secular, democratic region in a future federal and democratic Syria. We called upon the local autonomous Government, besides its political solidarity, to take all possible steps to ensure active and concrete support for Rojava – Northern Syria, especially on humanitarian basis”, Thomas Benedikter added.
Tyroleans? No, I had never heard of them before either.
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Tyroleans
Tyroleans- A region of the eastern Alps in western Austria and northern Italy. Inhabited in ancient times by Celtic peoples, the Tyrol constantly passed back and forth, in whole or in part, between Austria and Italy in the 1800s. Its present division dates from the Treaty of St. Germain in 1919. The Tyrolean Alps are a popular tourist area.
Latest news out of Damascus (Assad) is they have reached an agreement with the SDF defending Efrin to send more Syrian military to help defend Efrin. (AMN news says the SDF will wear Syrian military uniforms, smile, SDF says no way. hee hee)
Here is the latest map of Efrin:
Efrin Map 2-22-18 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWoadrZX4AAcGNk.jpg
It started over a month ago, do you think Turkey is failing in their invasion? Erdogan needs to go, or Turkey needs to leave NATO.
Now that the Turkish wolf is at the door...does the Kurdish population in Afrin recognize the Syrian government or are they involved in an armed struggle against it?
A tough decision which they should have made weeks ago.
Look. The Kurd and the Assad government have long coexisted. The Damascus government are not good guys. Everyone in Syrian knows it.
They have long supported Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists. They destroyed Lebanon.
And I have told you before, the Syrian Kurds have never tried to overthrow the Assad regime. They still don’t. They do want to be left alone to live in peace. They never wanted or acted to dismember Syria.
The SDF was formed to pacify the Turks, by adding Arab members. YPJ/YPG are the most effective fighting force in Syria. They blossomed with our air support and help. The have removed almost all of ISIS NE of the Euphrates. Now the players want them killed or subjected to advance their agenda. No, I’m not talking about the US agenda, I’m talking about the Iranian and Turk agenda.
NATO should disband. The majority of its members cannot let stand the actions of Erdogan against Syrian territory and still consider their organization reputable.
Your are correct.
It is a bad statement of what the alliance means today.
The coalition against ISIS has been more effective, but is unified across normal lines against that threat.
We shall see where this goes.
Its kind of difficult to make the argument that Turkey is violating international law when the Kurds don’t recognize the internationally recognized legitimate government of Syria themselves.
The Russians understand this, which is why they tried to engage the Kurds in national reunification talks prior to the Turkish incursion. Had the Kurds embraced that process they would be in a much stronger position today.
Kurds need to wake up from their day dreams of independence and realize how much further they have to travel and how tough it will be to get there.
Acknowledging they need a reliable partner in the region to achieve success, and that the United States is not that partner, would be a useful first step.
We don’t agree. That is not new.
US policy under Trump is NOT what it was under Obozo.
Blind support of Assad is a mistake. He represents a force of evil. Despite not directly persecuting Christians.
Alawites are a very small minority of Syria. They control all the leadership. They do support Hamas and Hezbollah. And partner with Iran.
You cannot cover up that with the “elected” illusion.
Look at the last US election. The degree of voter fraud if it were totally know, would shock the public. At this point, they still don’t “get it”. ComDems will steal an election if they can, and because of their helpers in the MSM they often can.
Yep. NATO is a farce.
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