“U.S. Patrolling Syrian Border to Stop Turk-Kurd Clashes” - TTG

Ilham Ahmed, a co-president of the Democratic Council of Syria, wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post on 28 April addressing the recent Turkish bombing of Kurdish forces.

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“On Tuesday, Turkey bombed the headquarters of Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, killing 20 of our soldiers. Immediately after the strike, the leaders of our forces — known as the People’s Protection Groups, or YPG — rushed from their operations center near Raqqa, where they’ve been working with the U.S. military to push the Islamic State out of its Syrian stronghold, to view the site of the attack. The American colonel and other officers who accompanied the YPG leaders were met by tens of thousands of protesters, including the mothers of soldiers who have died fighting the Islamic State. They asked the Americans a simple question: “How is it possible that our soldiers are fighting with you against ISIS while your ally Turkey is attacking us here?”” (WaPo)

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Not long after this piece appeared, the twittersphere came alive with reports, photos and videos of US troops moving to the Turkish-Syrian border. Wladimir Van Wilgenburg, a freelance journalist reporting out of Erbil, said this. “According to Kurdish journalist Heybar Othman three US army groups will spread on the border. First group on Derbisiye Serikaniye area, second on Derbisiye-Tal Abyad area, and third on Kobani and Tal Abyad area.” 

Lizzie Phelan, an RT correspondent reporting from Syria, also noted the troop movements and offered some 140 character analysis. “US troops are patrolling Kurdish areas on border with Turkey and have set up base in Darbasiya that was attacked two days ago by Turkish army. So despite the apparent silence from Washington in the face of ongoing attacks on the YPG, this is a clear message. Three possible scenarios: 1. US confident their presence will stop Turkish attacks  2. They're US forces are at risk of being "collateral damage" from TSK attacks, or… 3. They have an agreement from Turkey about which YPG held areas they can attack.” 

Then things started getting truly interesting. Mete Sohtaoğlu, a journalist and researcher based in Istanbul, tweeted this. “Massive Turkish Armed Forces reinforcements have arrived in Sanliurfa near Syrian border opposite side of Tal Adyad.” Mutlu Civiroglu, a Syrian and Kurdish affairs analyst, tweeted along with a link to a YouTube video. “ANHA reports YPG responded to Turkish attacks on west of Tal Abyad by destroying a radar system and tank.”

Twitter is a good place to identify indicators, but it is also a damned good place to be bamboozled by wild rumors and deliberate propaganda. The presence of videos from sources who have established a reliable reputation helps. I also look for official statements from military spokesmen, but in this era of pervasive information operations, even that has to be examined carefully. In this case Colonel John Dorrian, the Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman, confirms the presence of US troops along the border.  

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“WASHINGTON—American forces have started patrolling the Turkey-Syria border to prevent further clashes between Turkish troops and Kurdish fighters that have undermined the fight against Islamic State, U.S. officials said Friday.

The patrols are part of a far-reaching American effort to prevent the rival forces from targeting each other as the U.S. prepares to launch a major effort to drive Islamic State from its largest Syrian stronghold.

“U.S. forces are patrolling in Northern Syria to maintain stability in the area and prevent incidents that could divert efforts to defeat ISIS in Syria,” said Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the U.S.-led military coalition against Islamic State, also known as ISIS.”  (WSJ)

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So what are we to make of this? I can’t tell what unit is at the border. There are unmarked Strykers prominently flying American flags. I’ve seen no distinctive markings on the troops either, although I do see some non-standard uniform items. My guess is that they are from one of the Ranger battalions feeling their special operations oats. (Everybody wants to be an operator.) It was Rangers in Strykers riding around Manbij a while back. They appear to be working side-by-side with YPG troops in their Toyota pickups. 

Are these US troops prepared to call in airstrikes on attacking Turkish forces or are are they just window dressing to assuage our Kurdish partners? We need them to continue the assault on Raqqa and can’t afford to have them abandon that offensive to face their Turkish enemies. We also need them to establish our “safe area” which we want as badly as the Saudis. I get the sneaking suspicion we will, once again, cruelly use and abandon the Kurds. The only difference is this time it is the Rojava Kurds who will feel our perfidy. Perhaps the Russians will take note of this and seek to insert themselves between the Rojava Kurds and their American “benefactors.”

I can only imagine what’s going through the minds of my Special Forces brethren who stood by the YPG since the lean days.

TTG

Comments

[Babak Makkinejad]

I agree with you for the most part.

[The Twisted Genius]

Degringolade,

We're both getting on in years. Back in the day, I knew quite a few who did time with the Ranger battalions. My Ranger buddy when I was a 2LT was a PFC in the 2nd Battalion. Back then, they were extreme infantry and not operators. I think a lot has changed since then. Later when I served in a SMU, we often guided STS teams to and from objectives. I was never impressed with their fieldcraft off the objective. On the objective and in the water, they were superb. Otherwise there was something off with the way they carried themselves.

[LeaNder]

Ok, got it, J. Sorry for not paying closer attention.

The Independent puts the statements into the larger context of election campaign posturing.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-nuclear-weapons-first-strike-michael-fallon-general-election-jeremy-corbyn-trident-a7698621.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trident_nuclear_programme#Trident_renewal

[kooshy]

I fully agree to your first paragraph, but on the rest, all said I don't' see Turkey has been or can be let go or overturned not yet and not this easy and not with Erdo remaining in power. Past experiences makes it clear US (empires usually are not kind) is not keen to let clientele leave her circle on their own. IMO, what US and Turkey are doing with regard to Syria is a tactical game to keep the Syrian government allies off balance. Sultan Erdo of Turkey is happily working and loves the US domesticated Barazani mafia clan in Iraqi Kurdistan, what makes me blive Erdo would mind a US paid and tamed YPG, PKK, or any other 3 letter initial group. By the way from what I read on Iranian news sites, the other side knows this game Turkey, US play very well , and doing the same thing, using Turkey to have a window open and feel the air coming from the other side.

[kooshy]

Turkey is bombing the Kurds from the air, and US sends a few troops to Turkish, Syrian border to protect the ground at border? Probably the safest place to not getting bombed from air by allied Turkish US supplied F16s, flying from same base in Turkey US uses. As the say in Persian "They are filming us".
Meaning they are playing a game, making us watch an act.

[optimax]

There are too many generals in the WH kitchen. Trump says he seeks diplomacy first and bigley bad things if that don't work itself out. We're not talking to the NoKos but are depending on China to negotiate according to US will. Are our leaders naive or stupid to think China sees their interests as compatible with ours? It's like Japan in WWII negotiating peace with the US through Stalin. Works every time.

[kooshy]

Someone for sure is aiding and supplying the Taliban with arms, ammunition and money. That someone can't be the Chinese with unresting muslim Chinese Uyghurs on otherside. That someone can't be Russia
with her own unresting Chechens, why Russia wants to make Zibig's dream job easy and empower muslim extremist under her soft muslim belly central Asia. That someone can't be Iran arming and empowering extremist sunni group that almost went to war with back in 90s. My guess is that someone who is arming and supplying ammunition to Taliban is the Pakis with KSA/Qatar money and direct knowledge of US, this will allow US to have a presence and bases in (closest to) the central Asia, where Afghanistan links China, Iran, Russia' soft underbelly, Kashmir (India, Pakistan). Did you notice 4 of these countries are declared nuclear armed states. In old world trade routs, Afghanistan was the junction going through Pamir (Possible persian meaning Killer of foot?) to go to China or going Through Hindu Kush to go to India.

[kooshy]

Hindu Kush ( the passage to India) in persian means Indian Killer sort of like John Wayne

[Jackrabbit]

One might've made a similar complaint about Afghanistan (so remote, land-locked, etc) and yet US is still there.

[Valissa]

Pat Buchanan agrees with you.

The Rise of the Generals http://www.unz.com/pbuchanan/the-rise-of-the-generals/
Has President Donald Trump outsourced foreign policy to the generals?

So it would seem. Candidate Trump held out his hand to Vladimir Putin. He rejected further U.S. intervention in Syria other than to smash ISIS.

He spoke of getting out and staying out of the misbegotten Middle East wars into which Presidents Bush II and Obama had plunged the country.

President Trump’s seeming renunciation of an anti-interventionist foreign policy is the great surprise of the first 100 days, and the most ominous.

... Who is behind the seeming conversion of Trump to hawk?

The generals, Bibi Netanyahu and the neocons, Congressional hawks with Cold War mindsets, the Saudi royal family and the Gulf Arabs — they are winning the battle for the president’s mind.
----------------

[Jackrabbit]

LOL. After the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris 2 years ago I raised the question (at moonofalabama.org) of why France didn't invoke, or threaten to invoke, Article 5 against Turkey.

I think it pretty obvious why the French didn't then. And the same holds true today.

IMO Turkey's attack bought ISIS some time. I suspect that is just what USA-KSA-Israel wanted.

[kooshy]

I watched the Fox Sunday program, pardon my french, IMO Mr. McMaster is a charlatan, not much different than Flynn, or Susan Rice .

[kooshy]

Yap, strangely somehow US strategic enemies likes of Iran, Saddam, Gaddafi, Hugo Chavez, they all end up holding up EMP capability up in utter space to threaten US electric grid.

[Jackrabbit]

"... they are winning the. Style for the President's mind."

And Trump's business interests having noting to do with it? IMO Trump's "mind" doesn't stray far from his own interests.

Your still falling for the populist dazzle-dazzle? Obama's 11-dimensional chess BS was debunked long ago. Trump has a billion reasons ($$) for conning us.

[kgw]

Seems like it's not much of a fight. . .

[confusedponderer]

Valissa,
I recently read that Trump is annoyed by these lengthy instructions by CIA and military intelligence, so much that he prefers to get his info, err, true facts, from ... (turn on!) FOX News.

Entertainingly, Trump recently said that being US president was harder than he thought.

"I love my previous life. I had so many things going. This is more work than in my previous life," Trump said. "I thought it would be easier. I thought it was more of a . . . I'm a details-oriented person. I think you'd say that, but I do miss my old life. I like to work so that's not a problem but this is actually more work."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-us-president-harder-than-thought-white-house-first-100-days-legislation-healthcare-a7708166.html

What a poor man. Alas, just brilliantly, Trump on Saturday just tweeted the following:

“From the first day of my administration, I have governed by a simple idea: My only allegiance is to you, our wonderful citizens,” Trump said in his weekly, weekend address, a likely preview of what he’ll say at the rally.
...
“Mainstream (FAKE) media refuses to state our long list of achievements, including 28 legislative signings, strong borders & great optimism!” Trump tweeted Saturday.
...
"I truly believe that the first 100 days of my administration has been just about the most successful in our country’s history,"

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/29/trump-to-mark-100-days-in-office-with-job-touting-thank-to-pennsylvania.html

See? Trumps choices of policy - including cruise missiles to Syria or not getting the money for the wall to Mexico - they are are just 'most successful'. His first 100 days in office were a grand series of grand successes - and thank you to Pennsylvania.

President Trump is getting information and affirmation from Fox News, and he's going a step further, openly promoting the conservative cable news channel.

"Turn on Fox," he told ABC's David Muir when confronted by criticism of his speech at CIA headquarters, "and see how it was covered."

Trump said other networks, including ABC, covered the speech "very inaccurately," but he said Fox got it right. He cited Fox's coverage three times. "That speech was a home run. That speech, if you look at Fox, OK, I'll mention you -- we see what Fox said. They said it was one of the great speeches," Trump said.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/26/media/fox-news-donald-trump/

Ah yes.

Well, stuff like that lets me think that there isn't much thinking or obstruction to overcome in his mind. Apparently, it rather is a game about preferences, playing vanities, not confusing with annoying details and keeping things brief and simple so the poor, hard working man can play 13 times golf in 9 weeks.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/03/26/trump_has_gone_to_a_golf_course_at_least_13_times_in_nine_week_presidency.html

That said, probably 'golden the truth' not only helps a lot also, it straightly becomes a necessity.

[johnf]

I always thought the Kush in Hindu Kush referred to the Kushan Empire, which straddled those parts late BC/early AD.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushan_Empire

"The word Kushan derives from the Chinese term Guishang, used in historical writings to describe one branch of the Yuezhi—a loose confederation of Indo-European tribes that had been driven out of northwestern China in 176–160 BC, migrated south, and reached Bactria (Tajikistan and northwest Afghanistan) around 135 BC"

https://www.cemml.colostate.edu/cultural/09476/afgh02-08enl.html

[LeaNder]

thanks, TTG. Checked the Rangers again on Wiki. Been there before, definitively. Weak mind. Maybe indeed 75th Ranger, as b suggests?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/75th_Ranger_Regiment_(United_States)#Operation_Inherent_Resolve

Someone who understands the narration may be able to tell us more. I believe some is in Italian.

I don't think anyone speaks Italian, TTG. You may have the guy towards the end in mind. But he is almost immediately translated. Not much time to listen. One word surfacing in the autogenerated Italian subtitles made me wonder, if he is Romanian. On the other hand the Italian subtitles seem oddly random.

First, not one of the acoustically seemingly present words used by the female speaker surfaces in the subtitles, like Kurdistan, America and Turkey. They leave no trace, which makes me wonder how reliable the auto-generator is. Our ears are still a lot better then linguistic algorithms for Kurdish voice to Italian letters? Well, yes, I am sure they are.

Second, it feels at least one name that surfaces in the subtitles should be acoustically present, to the extend the three countries above are recognizable. And the randomly surfacing English words, don't seem to be there either. At least not in English. Like IPad.

Third, it may be my wild imagination, but the subtitles, although seemingly pretty random leave a distinctive feel and touch all the way down to the guy interviewed and translated: "Video wall street closes your fucking ..." semi kidding: 'freckled free Wifi connection'.

Fourth, no idea of the original language. Which means, I shouldn't have used up space here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdish_languages#Classification_and_origin

[VietnamVet]

TTG

This is like a Civil War Veteran trying to figure out what units are in Pershing’s Mexico incursion based on newspaper pictures. The western troops don’t look like the line troops I served with but buffed up prison guards. They aren’t wearing Hollywood chic mercenary garb but stripped off their uniforms, painted over unit identifiers and grabbed what they could to cover their faces. They then flew American flags on their Strykers. Weird.

The contradictions in American policy are going nuclear. NBC News tonight had a segment on the coming war with Russia over Arctic resources that can now be accessed due to climate change. This is simple insanity. The USA is fighting a war in Syria that it has no way of winning and sure in the hell appears to be getting ready to strike North Korea; not to mention wars in Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, Nigeria, and Afghanistan. This makes no sense unless rather than seeing the Empire crumble around them, the establishment has decided to fight a world war; winner take all. Except there won’t be any victorious survivors in underground bunkers in a nuked earth.

[Jack]

Pat Buchanan hit a home run with me with the post you linked to. I couldn't agree more!

[Ulenspiegel]

"I do not think that is her most important or decisive trump factor in the upcoming GB - European leave talks. The more decisive factor will be that GB has a lot more leverage in specific European countries then in others, compared to Russia as far as commerce or the jobs it creates is concerned then e.g. concerning decisions like sanctions against Russia or Iran. ... Let's see how united the EU can stand in this context."

IMHO you work with debatable assumptions:

While the divorce deal only requires a majority, i.e. allows in principle some divide et impera, the for UK much more important trade deal requires 27 yes votes, therefore, each diplomatic stunt in the divorce deal will very likely back-fire, here UK walks on relatively thin ice.

Re defense: The contradiction is that UK oppoased a more EU centric denfense in the past as EU member, now to assume that UK can use her military as useful bargain chip as non-EU member sounds fishy for me.

[Lloyd D. Herod, Jr.]

TO: different clue and all
Re: Nuclear EMP effects of space detonations,

There were a series of high altitude detonations of fairly small nukes in the 1-2Kt rangeas well as a couple megaton range detonations by the US from 1958-62. There were seven known detonations of weapons in the 1,3-300Kt range by the Soviet Union during the late 1961-1962 time period. The smaller of these weapons are likely to weigh less then 200 pounds, The effects of those detonations have been studied and the literature is in the public domain, The DPRK appear to have delivery systems and weapons capable of duplicating the Soviet and US EMP tests. Wiki and other sources describe the effects of such detonations. HIgh altitude detonations of this type appear to be useful as a decapitation strike in the very early stages of a high intensity conflict as they are able to blind sensors and disable power grids and communications networks.
Given the historical fragility of the US power grid to transient effects there is significant potential for large scale damage to power grids beyond what one would otherwise expect as well as damage on a similar scale to communications networks. This type of asymmetrical warfare could be very costly to the US and it's allies.

[kooshy]

You could be right if the names drives from Kushan, I only wrote what it literary means in Persian, in persian
Hindu Kush is a the most difficult obstacle mountain pass in road to india.

'The Persian-English dictionary[28] indicates that the word 'koš' [kʰoʃ] is derived from the verb ('koštan' کشتن [kʰoʃˈt̪ʰæn]), meaning "to kill". The word and suffix "-kush" means "kill, slay, death".[29][30] According to one interpretation, the name Hindu Kush means "kills the Hindu" or "Hindu killer" and is a reminder of the days when slaves from the Indian subcontinent died in the harsh weather typical of the Afghan mountains while being taken to Central Asia.[27][31][32]'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_Kush

[Bill Herschel]

Paul Krugman has an interesting column today predicting the collapse of Trump's popularity:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/01/opinion/donald-trump-on-the-power-of-being-awful.html

I would add, perhaps, his Presidency.

You can't tell me that McMaster doesn't want to walk the walk after so much talking the talk. He'll accept being appointed President any time. And what better way to get that appointment than war in Korea: "The situation has gotten too complicated militarily to be left to civilians."

A sort of reverse MacArthur Truman maneuver.

[Bill Herschel]

Sounds good. Floreat President MacMaster.