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It is difficult to be a key local ally of the United States in Syria.
On October 13th, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper defended the US pullout from Syria, in an interview on Fox News’ “Face the Nation”. A transcript of the interview is available on CBS.
According to Esper, the US troops needed to be evacuated, since it was a “terrible situation over there.” He said that the US opposed it, and that the advance in northern Syria would be expanded further south and to the west.
“Look it’s a very terrible situation over there. A situation caused by the Turks by President Erdoğan. Despite our opposition they decided to make this incursion into Syria. And at this point in time in the last 24 hours we learned that they likely intend to expand their attack further south than originally planned and to the west. And so we know that’s happening”
Separately, since the US abandoned them, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Kurdish militia, are looking to make some sort of deal with the Syrian “regime” and the Russian armed forces to deal with the Turkish operation.
Thus, if the US troops weren’t withdrawn, they would be caught between two warring factions – the Turks in the north and the SDF, possibly with the Syrian Arab Army.
“And so we find ourselves as we have American forces likely caught between two opposing advancing armies and it’s a very untenable situation. So I spoke with the president last night after discussions with the rest of the national security team and he directed that we begin a deliberate withdrawal of forces from northern Syria.”
Essentially, the US troops are caught between their allied NATO troops and the enemy “Assad regime”, between the hammer and the anvil.
The SDF already reached an agreement with the Syrian Arab Army, which is currently entering the SDF-controlled areas.
Esper then clarified that this was not a withdrawal from the entire country, just from northern Syria, approximately 1,000 troops would be moved elsewhere. He refused to provide a timeline of the withdrawal, it just needed to happen soon, but not leave equipment behind.
“It’ll be a deliberate withdrawal and we want to conduct it as- as safely and quickly as possible. So we want to make sure we deconflict a pullback of forces. We want to make sure we don’t leave equipment behind. So I’m not prepared to put a timeline on it, but that’s- that’s our general game plan.”
Margaret Brennan then alleged that if the US still had control of the airspace over northern Syria the Turkish advance wouldn’t happen. Esper said it would.
“MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you actually believe they would advance if U.S. forces were there in the numbers and with the force and with the commander in chief saying don’t do this?
SEC. ESPER: I do because in my lead up to talks with my counterpart of the past several weeks- I’ve been on the job a little bit over two months. It became very clear to me that the Turks were fully committed to conducting this incursion. And I think Secretary Pompeo would tell you the same. I know General Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has heard the same. The Turks were committed to doing this. This should not be a surprise. If you go back in time to when we first began this relationship with the- with the Syrian Kurds at that time in 2014 the Turks were protesting at that moment.”
He further said that it was unclear if there were more troops if the Turkish would fire upon them, intentionally or not, since there were reports of fire landing near US equipment and troops.
“We need to sort that out. We’ve given them the locations of our forces. But look, I- I’ve been to war. I know what wars like. There’s a fog out there and things happen and we want to make sure we don’t put our soldiers in a situation where they could be killed or injured. And look, even if the Turks decided not to attack forces- I mean they got over 15,000 forces. What we decide to pull back from that immediate zone of attack was about less than 50, maybe two dozen forces. It would be irresponsible for me to keep them in that position.”
Furthermore, despite the US, according to Esper not supporting the advance in northern Syria, the US allegedly still has control over the airspace, and he admits that not carrying out air strikes on Turkish forces was coordinated.
“It was an coordinated arrangement between us and the Turks. And despite our protestations, despite the fact that we urged the Turks not to do this, they decided to do it and we told them that we would not support them militarily in this action.”
They would not get air support from the US, but the SDF would also not get any air support.
But the main idea was to avoid another war, and especially one that has a 200-year history, such as between the Turkish and the Kurdish.
There was nothing concrete with the SDF turning to Syria and Russia, but it appears unlikely that the Turkish forces would cease their advance, so it was likely for the Kurdish militia to look for assistance from the Syrian Arab Army and the Russian Armed Forces.
The US was protecting the Kurdish militia from the Turkish forces during the fight against ISIS, but now the threat of an actual war became too real, thus, prompting the US to retreat and abandon their allies.
“The Kurds have been very good partners in the D-ISIS campaign. They were very good fighters on the battlefield. We obviously enabled that as well. But at the same time, we didn’t sign up to fight the Turks on their behalf. And we’ve been very clear with them about that. That’s why since I came into office over two months ago I worked week after week with my defense minister counterpart from Turkey and urged them not to do this.”
Esper said he had warned Turkey of ISIS possible resurgence, sanctions from NATO, the EU and the US, and the Turkish side still decided to carry out their advance, disregarding all warnings.
Regardless of the reports of atrocities that are being carried out by Turkish-backed militias and the hundreds of thousands of people that are being displaced, the US is now simply “condemning” the actions.
“It’s terrible. It’s a terrible situation. We condemn it. We have condemned it. It’s- these are justice things that we told the Turks would happen and play out. Who’s conducting it, it’s unclear at this point and time.”
The US withdrawing is essentially allowing this, then completely shifting the responsibility on the Turkish side. Since it’s been clear for a while what Turkey’s intentions were and that they were dead set on carrying them out, Washington simply became an enabler, and similarly to many other situations, it is refusing any responsibility.
“Well, let’s be clear the United States is not allowing this. Turkey committed this action. They decide to make an incursion in northern Syria despite our protestations, our urgings not to do it, all of our warnings. They decided to do it.”
This is yet another example, out of a plethora of recent ones which demonstrates how the US really treats its ‘key allies’ around the world. Fortunately for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Fores, there is the ‘bloody Assad regime’ in Syria that is now working to prevent a further expansion of the Turkish military operation into northern Syria.
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The US was protecting the Kurdish militia from the Turkish forces during the fight against ISIS, but now the threat of an actual war became too real, thus, prompting the US to retreat and abandon their allies
Unqte
LOL. Let me see enlightened commentors of SF now who claimed US did not retreat from North Syria due to Turkish pressure.
Some will try Sencer. We have a few in here.
Unreliable cheating cowards.
Dont worry. Omar oil fields will be safe.
If a woman had been in charge of our Syria operation we would have world peace today, Hillary would have secured a no-fly zone over Syria, Russia would never have been allowed to enter Syria, and US/Nato would have cleaned out all terrorists and secured Syria for Israel and then peace. But white pussygrabbing machos came in the way. Therefore we have endless war today.
Whom are you trying to amuse with this nonsense?
Why me of course. I always enjoy his trolling. As its leagues ahead of the childish ramplings of Toronto Tonto Tommy amuses me. He puts effort into it., That should always be encouraged.
Likewise. Even as this is as serious as death matter what’s going on over in the ME, in Syria, or elsewhere around the world, we need some levity, some form of comedy or we may well lose our minds in the process, yeah? Sure wish George Carlin was still around or Bill Hicks.
if women came to power in Syria or other place WW3 comes faster . bcuz Women doesn’t like each other in power.
Aren’t women holding positions in the Syrian government??
Some day your mother in law will sit there together with your wife as her right hand, and you guys can only survive by the cookies they give you………………………..……..LOL.
The US had their chance and ball’s it up, as seems to be their habit.
Say goodbye to the Golan Heights and a fair bit of Palestine, now tainted with the title isreal.
‘Secured Syria for Israel’ . LOL you desperate clown.
The most chilling thing about your post is, that you might actually mean this..
America at least when your scr*wing a nation kiss it before .
No such thing as a kurdish nation. Palestine is.more a nation thay kurdistan , advocate for palestine instead, or are you some fake eurotrash leftist?
Esper seems to have grasped the fact that the powers are about to be returned to the white house and the president and that it ain’t much value in desisting in which case he could be out on his behind before he had time to say crap – the last 3 years we have witnessed a war between the executive power, the president, and the institutions that are there to assist him and which over the last 20 years have acquired much of the presidential powers, which the president now is asking to get back. the institutions demur and delay but sooner or later trump will have returned those powers to the presidency and when that is a fact no one, say pompeo or some such deep stater, will have reason to desist the orders of the president and if he does,he’ll be out on his ass.
putting any kind of faith in Trump is like carrying water in a sieve.
I do actually, since I believe that trump is sincere when it comes to end the endless wars and which was prominent in his election program. his problem has been the deep state’s unwillingness to give up certain powers that normally would rest with the commander in chief and which have been given by previous nitwits, gw bush and even greater dumbnut obama, to institutions like pentagon, cia and so on, and which explains why decisions by trump have been countermanded previously to give the impression that the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing. trump has slowly retrieved some of those powers and will soon collect the rest to become the uncontested commander in chief. and since he seems to favour eye to eye discussions before guns, jets and missiles it might spell for a brighter future for the world, particularly if he follows up on his second election promise, to restore the american infrastructure, now in woeful disrepair,
You have fallen for Rothschild theater pretending to be politics. The direction of the Rothschild agenda in the U.S. has not ever changed direction in recent centuries, Drumpf included. Talk is not fact.
WHO TF SIGNED YOU UP IN THE FIRST PLACE??????
This fucking Jew is stating the obvious, as the old Jew geezer Kissinger only once told the truth too, friendship with Americunts is a kiss of death. The Kurds were used by both the Jew scum and Americunts. Kurds in progressive secular Syria had the best deal in the region, but they got carried away by Americunt and Zionist “promises of a homeland”. Well, that baloney worked out really well :)
I wonder, is Mr Esper and the USadmin getting the message that they are now to be ignored on the world stage? They do have very thick skins and heads so the full realisation could be some time yet. Turkish forces should leave Syria and allow the SAA, with Russian assistance, to deal with the Kurd problem in a way that doesn’t mean more destruction and deaths.
With the US out of the way perhaps all sides can now return to affective diplomacy.
I agree with the US/israel war makers out of there Russia and others can now push to resolve this mess.
Now everything depends on Putin. He can force the turks back into diplomacy and reviving the Adana agreement between Turkey and Assad. He can support the SAA with russian air power and declare Syrian territory off limits for Turkish airforce. Now it comes down to if Putin will take on Erdogan, if Erdogan refuses the diplomatic solution. Or looking as impotent as the US. We will see.
US, from back in Obama era, backed way to many horses trying to stay in the Syrian conflict – FSA and YPG. Now, the TFSA Islamist’s and YPG Kurd’s are at each others throats – at differing stages the US backed both. The US Pentagon and State Department bureaucrats are hardly strategic chess masters.
”
US Secretary Of Defense: We Didn’t Sign Up To Fight the Turks On Behalf Of SDF”…. TRANSLATION… “Look we signed up to create ISIS to destroy Syria in keeping with the 7 countries in 5 year agenda to promote the Greater Israel Project.”
Shame !!
“We’re in it for Yinon”
Humm. I think this could end bad. US maybe didn`t just sold kurds, but have a more ambitius plan to regain Turkey`s favor. Maybe they sold a “map” of the territory that Turkey would seize, and that`s why US troops are putting some resistance in Kobane. Maybe they tought Syrian forces wouldn`t agree with the kurds so fast, and Turkey would gain Kobane before their entrance.
I wonder if Turkey will now rush for Kobane…
Nothing new today’s USA,France,Britain, Germany and Israel friend and ally are tomorrow’s gosh.Ask Gaddafi, Saddam, Mubarak, Arafat, Idi Amin and many more.Never ever trust NATO propaganda you will be suck dry like a orange.
Listen guys. When we do something you criticize us, and when America don’t do something for you, you also criticize us We cant save your arse every time you have got yourself into deep shit trouble man, understand that? You also have to do something by yourself!! You can also do something. You can do it, if you can dream it.
Don’t ask what America can do for you, but ask what YOU can do for Kurdistan.
Go home.