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The political leadership of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) seems to start realizing that its “iron-clad” alliance with the Washington establishment may be not so strong as the YPG has wanted to believe.
On June 4, the US and Turkey announced that they had endorsed a roadmap for the Syrian city of Manbij. According to remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu after a meeting with U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo in Washington, the roadmap will include three stages and will be implemented less than in 6 months. Çavuşoğlu said that the key part of the roadmap is to clear the area from the YPG/PKK and includes the following steps:
- removal of YPG/PKK forces from Manbij;
- removal of YPG/PKK affiliated individuals from local governing organizations;
- forming of a new local governing administration;
- setting up joint US-Turkish patrols.
The town of Manbij is formally controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). However, all independent analysts and powers involved in the conflict clearly understand that the YPG and its political wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), dominate within the group and is the only real political and military leader within it.
HINT: Ankara describes the YPG as a terrorist group, a local branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is involved in a long-standing rebellion against the Turkish government. The PKK is officially recognized as a terrorist group by both the US and Turkey.
On June 5, the YPG announced withdrawal of its “military advisers” from the area. On the same day, Çavuşoğlu made fresh remarks on the Manbij deal with the US. According to the foreign minister, Kurdish groups in northern Syria will be disarmed in the framework of the reached agreement, which includes the area east of the Euphrates.
On June 6, Mays al-Kareidi, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), made an official statement announcing that the SDC is ready for a direct negotiations with Damascus.
According to the statement, SDC Co-Chair Ilham Ehmed declared its readiness for negotiations with the Syrian government without any preconditions. The SDC leader even claimed that an intra-Syrian dialogue without “external interference” is the only solution.
To make the situation clear, the SDC is another brand created to hide the YPG/YPD dominance within the SDF. Ilham Ehmed is a Kurd, a senior member of the PYD.
Just a few months ago, an official position of the SDF/SDC was that the group does not cooperate with the Damascus government or Russia. Furthermore, the SDF has repeatedly accused the Syrian-Iranian-Russian alliance of cooperating with ISIS and carrying out agressive acts against the “democratic northern Syria” controlled by the SDF.
It looks that this strategy may have been re-shaped a little bit.
Karma is a Bitch. Kurds love to get screwed by the US0A and Israel.
Funnily they believed that they are a legitimate political force to contend against Syrian government without any kinds of Syrian political base.
They’re forming another anti-government (Islamic?) militia in Manbij. This one is supposed to be different from the other ‘anti-government militias’ they’ve been forming for the past 6 years.
How many times do the Kurds have to get screwed by the US to understand “the US will screw them” every time because that is what the US does to its proxy allies?
Really – it’s hard to feel sorry for them. Wasn’t for them the US (likely) wouldn’t be occupying NE Syria.
Let the YPG prove there sincerity by demanding US to leave and if ignored then attack them. That will go a long way to show that the Kurds are loyal to Syria.
Or leave the area and attack it’s former allies ally Turkey. Let them restore their own honor by valiant action.
Unless they get immediate (and effective) protection from the Russians asking the US to leave will only provide the Turks with a field day, as they can finally invade not only Manbij, but the rest of Northern Syria as well without impunity. It’s only the US military presence in Northern Syria which keeps Turkey from invading.
Thing is, the Kurds have different aims then the Americans. To the Americans Afrin and Manbij do not matter that much. Which is why they didn’t lift a finger to help their Kurdish allies over Afrin. The Americans are only interested in Eastern Syria, as they identified this part of the country as crucial to block the formation of the Iranian Shia Crescent. To the Kurds only the areas of Syria that they inhabit matter, Northern Syria. Gaining the oil fields of Eastern Syria was useful as it provided them with a useful bargaining chip with Damascus, but overall most of Eastern Syria holds little of interest to them. Just problems as it means having to control a hostile Arab population. To the Kurds losing Afrin was a huge deal, losing Manbij would be a further humiliation. It means the end of their dream of a unified Northern Kurdish Syria. Which of course is a nightmare to Turkey. So the US and Turkey reaching a deal that goes counter to that Kurdish dream shows the Kurds who is boss, and its not them. And in hindsight a worse deal then they had with Damascus. As Assad did not mind having the Kurds control vast parts of his border with Turkey, a very hostile and untrustworthy neighbor as far as Assad is concerned. It’s good to have a buffer with bad neighbors. Just as long as the Kurds played nice with him.
Maybe now the Kurds will realize that they picked the wrong side and maybe if they switch sides again the price they will have to pay will not be too high. It’s already cost them Afrin. Soon it will be Manbij. Who knows what will follow next?
Both are invaders and the Kurds are traitors, no excuse and no sympathy, all 3 need to be thrown out.
Excellent synopsis of how things most likely are.
Let’s hope that the Kurds dump the US before the US dumps them….
By reaching out to Damascus without pre-conditions is de facto breaking with US.
This move by the Kurds lends weight to their being truth behind all the talk (and confusion) of a deal between Turkey and the US. The announced oil sharing deal between Syria and YPG also makes more sense if the YPG is breaking from the US and running into the arms of Assad – before the US tosses the Kurds once and for all into the shark tank like all the others that had served out their useful purpose.
There must be a lot of tense behind the scenes negotiations going on. I can just imagine Assad’s stone cold face at the table with Kurds that only weeks ago would plunge a dagger in Assad’s chest without a moment of hesitation. But Assad is astute and pragmatic so see what happens. At least he does not have to deal with Israel directly and Bibi’s tantrums.
Yes, the recent lull in the fighting is eloquent in its silence. The oil deal speaks volumes.
Whats the matter with the Kurds,don’t they realise by now that they are only pawns in the greater israhellI project,and that they will be treated like Palestinians in the future.To survive,better stay with Syria.
No brainer.
The Kurds have been brainwashed into thinking they are the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. They believe they will be welcomed with open arms by the Israelis.hahah
The kurds finally showing some sence, only fool would not want to be negotiation with demascus. As the Turks gwt manbij easy they will request more lands and they know they have a valued position in this games. I said it’s better to have my peoples live under a friendly regimes than an arch enemies.
The only people who didn’t see this coming were the Kurds themselves. If they ever do get their own separate nation , the U.S. and similar predators will strip the country bare before they hold their first council meeting. They’ll have to borrow pencils and paper from Syria to be able to record the minutes of the meeting.
They been doing that in Iraq.
Neither Turkey nor the USA have any legitimate right to be in Syria. If Iran needs to leave, they need to leave. Neither can stay, with impunity from the Syrian government, or the Kurds.
you should run for President!!!!
My mother used to say that even the most loyal dog will turn it’s back on you if you kick it often enough. How many times must the amerikkkans kick the Kurds before they will learn?. They are nothing but cannon fodder for the amerikkkans. They are blinded by money and weapons, ignoring the past behaviour of the bankrupt empire. As soon as they are no longer politically useful the amerikkkans will abandon them……..AGAIN!.
Ive heard stories that some kudrs(barzani) are involved in the cia heroin chain from afghanistan to europe. So i think some factions will remain us puppets while some will break away…more fighting ahead i fear…morrons
I don’t think the Kurds have much choice. If they behave too independent the US will replace them with some other outfit – just like it is doing now in Manbij. Even the contact that they are now reported to have with Damascus is risky.
It is quite likely that Manbij is just the beginning and that Kurdish rule in other areas will become contested too.
The time that the Kurds had some freedom for political choices is long ago. I suspect that even the incident in februari near Deir Ezzor where 300 “Russians” were killed near the Conoco oil field was in fact an agreement between the Kurds and the Syrian government that was sabotaged by the US.
SDF terrorist council SDC sorry no negotiation just follow your puppet boses to Washington.Turkey will disarm you under your puppet USA and Syrian government observers under Tigger forces command.Ideal places for SDF terrorists is South Korea,Ukraine and Japan.The only people who Will carry weapons is legitimate Syrian Government forces.Ethnic tribe or group won’t be allowed because USA uses them to overthrow world legal and legitimate governments.
Yes. Kurds must be punished for treason first before they are allowed to live in Syria any longer. If you don’t like it , fuck off to America or Israel ; your friends!
It’s heating up in the kitchen.
US and Turkey are working this together, US will set up a base in Manbij and Turkey will claim th surrounding territory, annexing Syrian soil. This was planned from the beginning and all that ‘confrontation’ was just for show. Where are the Kurds going now and where to?
FREE LAND IN SYRIA
And thus Erdogan gets what he wanted ; more land annexed to the Turkish- occupied state just like the Ottomans had stolen those very same lands before.
ABORTION RIGHTS ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE!
Erdogan won, he started the civil war to destroy Syria, invaded it by use of Islamic State terrorists and subordinates and got now the north of Syria for free from the Americans. A tyran f**ked the US, Russia, the world and Syria. I hate you and would kill you if I could but this was a great trick.