Kurds and SAG reach agreement to fight Turks

• The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reportedly reached an agreement with Damascus on the situation in northern Syria;
• The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) started entering the SDF-held area around Manbij. SAA units will reportedly enter Kabani and move further;
• Turkey-led forces develop their advance despite the SDF-Damascus agreement.  SF

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It seems that part of the "art of the deal" is to place people in a position where not making a deal bears unacceptable consequences.  As one of us wrote, the Borg (foreign policy establishment) and Lindsey Graham must be tearing their hair out and rending their garments.

I leave it to TTG to comment in detail.  pl

https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-northern-syria-after-sdf-damascus-deal-map-update/

Comments

[JP Billen]

That is Turkish BS. That close artillery fire on those US Special Forces was a message from Erdogan to yank Trump's chain for threatening sanctions.

The 'lets you and him fight' meme is what the Izzies and Saudis do. The Kurds have done some heavy fighting against ISIS. Even long before the US started helping with airstrikes and material support.

[prawnik]

Not sure I understand. The reason that Ukraine and Georgia are not NATO members is that they have not applied, as doing so would bring a swift reaction from Russia.

[CK]

I thought Erdogan was supposed to be smart, firing on a nominal NATO ally to "yank the chain" is not smart. Let's you and him fight has been Kurdish SOP since the first Kurd.

[JP Billen]

firing close, NOT "firing on". Who said Erdogan was smart? You must be Turkish.

Actually your let's-you-and-him-fight meme is what the US, UK, and France have been using the Kurds for to fight Isis since 2014.

[elaine]

Thanks

[elaine]

JP Billen, Rudaw.net is reporting VP Pence has negotiated a 120 hour cease fire to
accommodate the safe withdrawal of the YPG, however I checked Kurdistan 24 & didn't
see the story. What should I conclude?

[The Twisted Genius]

Elaine, whatever Pence and Erdogan agreed to has no effect on the YPG, the SAA or the Russians. For that matter, it has little effect on the jihadis, either. The SAA has taken over the Kobani border post and have started to move heavy weapons into the area. The dog and pony show in Ankara means nothing.

[JP Billen]

Regarding the potential Pence cease-fire. SDF Commander-in-Chief of General Mazlum Abdi said this is a start. But the Turkish state has not stopped the invasion.

Commander Abdi added that the ceasefire agreement covered the area between Girê Spi and Serêkaniyê. YPG and SDF forces remain in other areas within what the Turks call their Safe Zone. But other than that he says "We will do everything necessary to make the ceasefire a success."

And he added: "The US are responsible for watching over the agreemeent which includes the return of displaced people to their homes and does not include changing the demographic of the area. The aims of the attackers must not be realized. Nothing has been discussed for the other regions. Our forces remain there."

I don't see any way possible that the US can ensure the Turks don't change the demographics in those areas unless boots on the ground are there - but that is not gonna happen. Unless Russia steps in? At least 275,000 people have been displaced since the Turkish invasion. The Turkish jihadis have already taken over their homes and will fight attempts to evict them.

https://anfenglishmobile.com/rojava-syria/sdf-commander-abdi-evaluated-agreement-between-us-and-turkey-38529

[confusedponderer]

BArbare,
re: "The work of Trump alone, or was a ghost writer involved?"

I read that Trump's withdrawal order - & dropping the kurds "who didn't help the USA in Normandy" (neither did Germany, Russia and Japan by the way, and two of those are now US allies for a long time) & giving Erdogan that long desired green light - was not discussed with the Pentagon or the state department, nor was Trump again advised on the matter.

When Trump discussed that southern border to Mexico with DHS folks and lawyers he was advised and advised that what he wanted was very illegal (shooting them), very illegal (shooting them in the legs) and very illegal (a long trench with toxic snakes and hungry crocodiles - what, no cannibal tribes?) and, after a few yell & freak out episodes, he rewarded the people who told him all that with being fired. Dr. Nielsen - head of the DHS - was faster and quit by herself before being twittered away.

Abandoning the Kurds was apparently an impulsive Trump solo act, likely his gut telling him something, and I don't want to know what.

I read Trump commented all that by saying that he doesn't care much about what's happening in Syria since all that is some 7000 miles away anyway. Well, on 9/11 ObL and Saudi Arabia were some 7000 miles away, too.

Trump in Syria got basically nothing, congratulates himself to be a fearsome strategist, that Pence and O'Brien negotiating was nothing but an emergency fire alert mission, Erdogan got another shot at the kurds - and the kurds bleed.

Alas, in the last hours Mick Mulvaney also commented that the Miami Trump hotel in which the next G7 will be held is perfectly perfect for that event - as if it was built for it - and (that is not really convincing) that Trump would of course not profit from the other 6 G nations having to rent places in that hotel for the event. No, of course not.

Obviouisly, whitehouse priorities are firmly set. Maybe the other 6 G's go and hire Nuland to hand out cookies to Trump then. She certainly has already proved her competence in that regard.