Just because you haven't been paying attention doesn't mean this all happened all of a sudden.
did he really say 'in my great and unmatched wisdom' lmao
is this a real tweet?
its great
...yeah.
He's a grade A tweeter, and when he says shit like this the Left become giggling parrots.
AliceInWonderland said:
Those are all feelings and do not matter.
What matters is what's on paper and on paper Turkey is a NATO member and arguably the most important other than Germany.If this is how everyone feels then a discussion will have to be had between all NATO members and then formal action can be taken against Turkey.
Any other way is the true path to conflict.
It's not about feelings. It's about alliances and a unilateral move by a NATO member to pull out with no exit plan with its allies. LOL - better run Jim
We have been planing pulling out for close to a year:
Pulling out of Syria: A primer
Trump shocks allies and advisers with plan to pull US troops out of Syria
Furthermore this event has been a year in the making:
Trump Abandons Syria's Kurds: Will Turkey Now Crush Their Dream of a 'Secular Utopia?'
Syrian surprise: How Trump's phone call changed the war
I've literally been waiting for this to occur for like 6 months based on the news coming out of the region.
Just because you haven't been paying attention doesn't mean this all happened all of a sudden.
Exactly, it's about alliances and we are formerly allied with Turkey...a NATO member.
We are not formerly allied with the Kurds we merely have had a relationship.
Alliances > Relationships
Also, our unilateral moves that led to a civil war in Syria and then another unilateral move to supply and fund an organization at war with a NATO member caused that NATO member to make a unilateral move in defending its hegemony.
The moment the Obama administration established a relationship with the Kurds was the moment this invasion became a possibility. The moment the Kurds linked their two territories was the moment this invasion became a guarantee.
Cause and effect is a bitch.
Ya, everyone knows trump said he would leave Syria. That's not news but thank you for the links. Most people (including many in his party) made the mistake of thinking he would do it strategically. lol
Also the US is an alliance with all the members of NATO - not just one.
i honestly think a lot of people that support trump are autistic, cos the nuances and complexities are just completely lost on them. they take things literally all the time.
people bitch about the US being in the middle east, people bitch about the US leaving the middle east.
im thinking people just like to bitch about the US. thats fine.
i find it amusing that people actually care enough to have an opinion. :)
who will stand by and watch the killing and do nothing? put your money where your mouth is.
Turkey Syria offensive: Heavy fighting on second day of assault
Heavy fighting is reported in northern Syria on the second day of a Turkish offensive into Kurdish-held areas.
Turkey says it has seized a number of designated targets and killed dozens of Kurdish militants.
Tens of thousands of people are reported to be fleeing their homes, and Kurds report several civilian deaths.
Turkey says it wants to create a "safe zone" cleared of Kurdish militias which will also house some of the millions of Syrian refugees it hosts.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49998035
you guys going to do something?
Erdogan has rational intentions but a full-scale deployment is extremely risky and I can't help but think that this could have been handled more efficiently. I totally get why Turkey's doing this though. It certainly isn't anything new. They had enough time to draw a long-term plan so who knows, the Turks might actually surprise us this time. The only answer now is bloodshed, and it's not looking good for the Kurds. Our best hopes right now are for Turkey to do the necessary evil as swiftly as possible and let's pray that they actually have a long-term strategy planned out. The Kurds are a hardy, combat-experienced bunch and will just as easily resort to insurgency again, generating yet more instability in the region.
In the meantime, let's see if we can get ahold of some decent combat footage.
Erdogan has rational intentions but a full-scale deployment is extremely risky and I can't help but think that this could have been handled more efficiently.
I agree.
It's important to note there have been talks between U.S. and Turkey for months where Turkeys main concern was to move the YPG(PKK) away from their border.
Such a demand was impossible ofc because the YPG would never give up their land grab -why would they?-.
I really can't see how this could have been avoided other than some hypothetical situation that would have kept the YPG from gaining the territory it currently holds in the first place. But, in all actuality, if the U.S. would not have built a relationship with the PKK and they still had a successful campaign then Turkey would have gotten involved way sooner.
Turkey Threatens Attack on Syrian Kurds as US Envoy Holds Talks With Ankara
VOA said:ISTANBUL - Tensions between the United States and Turkey are increasing as Washington's special representative for Syria engagement, Ambassador James Jeffrey, visits Ankara in a bid to iron out differences with its NATO ally. Ankara has threatened military action against Syrian Kurdish militia the YPG, unless the two countries agree on steps to distance the YPG from the Turkish border.
The YPG is a key U.S. ally in the fight against Islamic State terrorists. Ankara, however, links the militia to the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK, which has been fighting a decades-long insurgency against Turkey. Turkish forces are continuing to mass on Syria's border, where the YPG is based.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu Monday reiterated Ankara's commitment to secure Turkey's border by the creation of a safe zone up to 32 kilometers deep inside Syria.
"If the safe zone is not established and threats toward our country continue, we will launch the operation in the east of the Euphrates," Cavusoglu said.
"The Americans sent Jeffrey and said there were new proposals in the talks that will start today," he added. "We hope an agreement can be reached on this. Concrete steps are needed on this now."
Jeffrey was set to meet high-ranking Turkish diplomats and military officials in two days of talks aimed at averting a military confrontation. On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with Cavusoglu and reportedly reiterated opposition to any "unilateral" actions in Syria by Turkey.
In a move seen as underscoring Washington's stance, General Kenneth McKenzie, Commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), reportedly met Monday with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazlum Abdi. The YPG is the main component of the SDF, a broad coalition of forces based in the region being threatened by Turkey.
Ankara's ratcheting up of tensions could have another goal. "It can be used as additional pressure on the negotiating table with Washington," said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who served in Washington and the region.
Turkey's procurement of a Russian S-400 missile system violated the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA. But U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he is not weighing sanctions against Turkey for purchasing the Russian air defense systems.
The S-400 purchase has already resulted in Turkey's exclusion from buying America's latest F-35 fighter jet. U.S. officials believe Turkey's decision to use the Russian advanced radar technology could compromise the NATO's military systems in the country. The F-35 is NATO's newest stealth fighter jet.
Analysts say Ankara is more concerned by financial and economic penalties under CAATSA, which could hit hard the weakened Turkish economy.Ankara perceives a reluctance by Washington's decision to impose CAATSA, because of the damage it can do to U.S. interests in the region.
"Ankara has a lot of political leverage with the U.S.
"Mr. Trump opted for the lightest reply [banning of F-35s], to buying the S-400's," said Selcen, who now works as a regional analyst.
"...It appears that the U.S. administration is trying to do everything to offer Turkey exemption from these additional sanctions, which could be due to Turkey's geostrategic position," Selcen said.
President Trump is reportedly due to meet U.S. senators Tuesday to discuss measures against Turkey.
Other analysts, however, suggest Ankara's amassing of forces on the Syrian border may not necessarily be just a diplomatic ploy.
"There is a higher possibility of Ankara biting the bullet to enter Syrian Kurdish lands," said analysts Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners, "On account of the bitter war against PKK currently being executed in several Turkish provinces and across the border with Iraq."
Turkish forces are currently engaged in one of their most significant operations against the PKK in northern Iraq, the location of the headquarters of the rebels. Analysts point out an attack on their Syrian affiliate would add pressure to the PKK.
Ankara has also said the creation of a safe zone in Syria would allow some of the Syrian refugees in Turkey to return. With around 4 million refugees from Syria, there is growing public discontent in Turkey over their presence. According to a Turkish opinion poll released this month, more than 80% of those polled wanted the Syrians to leave.
Turkish forces have intervened before in Syria, ousting Kurdish rebels from Syria's Afrin province and Al-Bab region; however, in both operations, Turkey's air force had a free hand.
"East of the Euphrates, there is an undeclared sort of no-fly zone enforced by the U.S.," said Selcen. "Unless the U.S. gives the green light, it will be impossible for Turkey to carry out a land operation. It would be suicidal and bring the two NATO allies against each other, which both sides have tried to avoid since the beginning. But that can be the last step."
Despite the risks, some analysts suggest that given the domestic and security pressures facing Ankara, the Turkish military could launch a limited operation into Syria to test Washington's resolve. They say such a move may depend on what new sanctions if any, the U.S. imposes on Ankara over the S-400 purchase.
In the meantime, let's see if we can get ahold of some decent combat footage.
Word.
