While Turkish-backed militant groups and the Turkish Armed Forces are gaining the ground east of Al Rai, the ISIS terrorist group is advancing in the area between Al Rai and Jarabulus.
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Military Situation in Northern Aleppo, Syria on September 20
The YPG need to capture Al-bab and unite Afrin and Kobani cantons. ISIS and Turkish-backed Islamists are no different, they’re both Islamists. I’m no military expert, maybe they’re building up their forces for a full-on assault but the longer they wait, the more likely it is the Turkish rebels will get in their way and block uniting the cantons. A contiguous territory which cuts off ISIS from Turkey is in everyone’s best interest.
Everyday you reading and listing lies from your media. Middle East 99% muslim peope. Kurds are muslim. West want a christian country in Middle East but not possible. Sorry Alex! Not kurdistan but ottoman coming back.
Albania and Kosovo are Muslim-majority. But they are democracies with freedom of religion and freedom from religion. Minorities have rights, not just Christians, but also minority sects of Islam, Druze, Jews, Atheists, Zoroastrians, Alawi, Sufis etc. Nobody should force religion. Rojava is already back and has freedom for all.
YPG are also no saint. Its true that they have achieved some spectacular successes with help of US coalition strikes but they too have a history of traitorship. Remember few days back how they wanted to oust SAA from Qamshili and Hasaka.
The Kurdish people , YPG , etc. only have one option for true survival , and that is an alignment with the Assad government , as NDF . The Americans will only use them as instruments in their plan to break up Syria , and then Iran, cannon fodder to be dis guarded . Can they achieve the clarity of thought to see this ? They could achieve an autonomous province within Syria , and Iran , similar to what they have achieved in Iraq. Having their dream of a free ” Kurdistan” , made them an easy “sell” by the Yanks. But if they can come to understand , that there are much bigger plays going on , on the chess board , they might survive and thrive . With the Black King ( US) ,they have short term value , with the White King (Syria) ,they have long term value . The FSA , ISIS and Al Nusra ,are all Wahabbi mercenaries employed by the US , via Saudi Arabia , and it seems obvious that very few real battles are going on between them as Turkey advances south , more like a change of uniform’s . Joining Afrin and Kobani cantons would be beneficial to their survival. And it would be to Syria’s benefit to have the Kurdish between government forces and the Turkish. Mending fences with the Syrian government might cost a bit of pride , but worth countless lives in the long run.
Kurds have survived in these lands since the Sumarian times. They are surviving just fine.
the ISIS terrorist group is advancing in the area between Al Rai and Jarabulus.
Really? No details apart from the map nor sources given so it is somewhat of a sketchy report. It’s hard to guess as to what the situation really is and I’d rather wait for more details before commenting.
I will say that I have argued for putting Turkish forces in Syria under supranational control – either under Operation Inherent Resolve, as with the YPG/SDF, or my preference would be to put the Turkish invasion forces under NATO command, using the elite NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Turkey. http://www.hrf.tu.nato.int/index.html