‘Unacceptable’: Turkey slams US-led coalition’s new Syria ‘border force’ using Kurdish militias
… from Russia Today, Moscow
[ Editor’s Note: The US is really jerking Erdogan’s chain here. The announcing of this “border force” is nothing more than Washington telling everyone that it is staying in Syria’s Kurdistan, will continue arming, training and deploying it without a UN mandate, and to hell with anyone who does not like it.
It will be put up or shut up time for Turkey. Erdogan said today that he will attack Afrin to clear it of terrorists after the next border incident, which he can dial up whenever he wants. For more cover he can always contract that out to the Israelis who have a lot of experience with magical border incidents right when you need one.
The US is effectively doubling the size of the Kurdish Army to face off the SAA when time comes to unite the country. So far neither NATO or the UN is screaming about this gross violation of a UN member’s sovereignty.
The mention of an Arab force being recruited to defend the Euphrates River valley and the Syrian border is a joke of course. During the so-called War on ISIS in the Sryian-Kurdish region a recent SDF defector to Turkey reveled that the Arab part of the SDF was just for show, 50 people only.
Scammers historically use what has worked for them in the past. No veteran’s org will utter a word about this, about our military being involved in overt offensive operations in a country with no legal right to do so. The “mercenary” aspect of it all I find they prefer not to discuss.
How many Americans remember the Pentagon spokesmen saying that US forces would remain in Syria until ISIS was defeated, giving us all the idea that the US self appointed mandate would end then. Their lie comes home to roost now.
For the older folks among us the term mission creep will come to mind, which is something else that gets reused because it has worked so well. This kind of abuse will continue as long as there is no political blow back at home. Don’t hold your breath … Jim W. Dean ]
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– First published … January 14, 2018 –
The US-led coalition says it is helping to create a thousands-strong “Border Security Force” in Syria using Kurdish SDF militias. Washington’s support, branded “unacceptable” by Ankara, is further straining bilateral ties.
Some 230 new recruits are already undergoing training in the “BSF’s inaugural class,” the Coalition’s Public Affairs Officer Colonel Thomas F. Veale told the Defense Post. The border force will be stationed along Kurdish-controlled parts of the Syrian border with Iraq and Turkey, as well as along the Euphrates River valley. It is estimated to reach a total strength of 30,000, according to the official.
Around half of the new unit will be comprised of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) veterans, while the other half is being recruited.
“The base of the new force is essentially a realignment of approximately 15,000 members of the SDF to a new mission in the Border Security Force as their actions against ISIS [Islamic State] draw to a close,”the Coalition’s Public Affairs Office told Reuters in an email.
The move prompted discontent from one of Washington’s key NATO allies – Turkey. The catch here is that battle-hardened Kurdish YPG units – part of the SDF – are viewed by Ankara as an extension of the “terrorist” Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Continuous US support for the YPG has put a major strain on relations between the two states.
“The US, providing support to the PKK’s Syrian branch, PYD-YPG, on the grounds of ‘fighting ISIS,’ is taking some worrying steps to legitimize this terrorist [group] and make it lasting in the region,”Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday, as quoted by NTV.
“It is absolutely not possible for this to be accepted,” the official added, stressing that Turkey “will continue its fight against any terrorist organization regardless of its name and shape within and outside its borders.”
The new border force is expected to be based on the territorial principle, as its members will “serve in areas close to their homes” in order to ensure that “the ethnic composition of the force will be relative to the areas in which they serve.” “More Kurds will serve in the areas in northern Syria,” while Arab militias will be present “along the Euphrates River Valley and along the border with Iraq to the south,” according to the Coalition.
Around half of the new unit will be comprised of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) veterans, while the other half is being recruited.
“The base of the new force is essentially a realignment of approximately 15,000 members of the SDF to a new mission in the Border Security Force as their actions against ISIS [Islamic State] draw to a close,”the Coalition’s Public Affairs Office told Reuters in an email.
The move prompted discontent from one of Washington’s key NATO allies – Turkey. The catch here is that battle-hardened Kurdish YPG units – part of the SDF – are viewed by Ankara as an extension of the “terrorist” Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Continuous US support for the YPG has put a major strain on relations between the two states.
“The US, providing support to the PKK’s Syrian branch, PYD-YPG, on the grounds of ‘fighting ISIS,’ is taking some worrying steps to legitimize this terrorist [group] and make it lasting in the region,”Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday, as quoted by NTV.
“It is absolutely not possible for this to be accepted,” the official added, stressing that Turkey “will continue its fight against any terrorist organization regardless of its name and shape within and outside its borders.”
The new border force is expected to be based on the territorial principle, as its members will “serve in areas close to their homes” in order to ensure that “the ethnic composition of the force will be relative to the areas in which they serve.” “More Kurds will serve in the areas in northern Syria,” while Arab militias will be present “along the Euphrates River Valley and along the border with Iraq to the south,” according to the Coalition.
Jim W. Dean is VT Editor Emeritus. He was an active editor on VT from 2010-2022. He was involved in operations, development, and writing, plus an active schedule of TV and radio interviews. He now writes and posts periodically for VT.
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CIA False Flag Likely in Drone Attack on Russia’s Syrian Bases
Finian CUNNINGHAM | 17.01.2018 | https://tinyurl.com/ycpccyzn
@Eduardo: unlike the rest of us, the Russians work with strategic insight and act calmly. They recognize Turkeys rights as a guarantor of the Turkic people in the Aleppo region. A position wrested by Mustafa Kemal as part of the divestment agreement during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. It suits them since the same principle can be used to guarentee the well-being of the ethnic Russians in other areas, suich as Ukraine.
The U.S. criminal invaders must be bombed out of there just like any other invaders. The longer you indulge a bully the worse it gets.
Erdogan Pledges to ‘Purge Terrorism’ in Kurdish Enclave in Northern Syria 14.01.2018
https://tinyurl.com/y7npnxn2 Middle East
RT FRONT PAGE: Published time: 16 Jan, 2018 13:56
Erdogan demands NATO take stand on US-backed Syrian Border Force
https://tinyurl.com/ybn9d384
Warning from GC (Google Clean): Google is tracking this thread …
https://tinyurl.com/y755d9ez
RT Documentary: Her War https://tinyurl.com/paor82h
16:05 15.01.2018 Interviews
“The presence of Turkish forces in Syria is aggression and cannot be justified by any name or pretext,” …
Syrian Deputy FM to Sputnik: Turkey Must Withdraw Its Forces, Stop Interference https://tinyurl.com/ybmzetw9
“We demand that the Turkish government withdraw its forces from Syrian territory and stop interfering in its internal affairs,” Mekdad said, speaking to Sputnik Arabic on Monday.
Turkey said:
14 January 2018, Press release regarding the statements on the establishment of a so-called “Syrian Border Security Force” under the PYD/YPG terrorist organization’s command
https://tinyurl.com/y76eduq7 © 2011, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Pentagon: US Does Not Support Kurdish Forces In Afrin
#SYRIA#USA 16.01.2018 https://tinyurl.com/yaoswrht
The US does not support the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria’s Afrin and the area was not a part of US-led coalition operations against ISIS, the spokesman of the US-led coalition Col. Ryan Dillon said in a written statement to the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu on January 16.
“The Coalition’s mission has not changed: to defeat ISIS [Daesh] in designated areas of Iraq and Syria and set conditions for follow-on operations to increase regional stability,” he said in a response to Anadolu ‘s question as to whether the US or the coalition would support Kurdish forces in Afrin where Turkish forces may launch operation soon. “We are not operating in Afrin. We are supporting our partners in defeating remaining ISIS pockets along the Middle Euphrates River Valley, specifically in areas north of Abu Kamal, on the eastern side of the Euphrates River.”
Meanwhile, the Turkish military deployed more military equipment including at least 10 battle tanks near the YGP-held area of Afrin and continued shelling YPG positions there.
The US will supply it via the chain already set up, paid for out of the “anti-terrorism” budget. Most never saw that coming, that money could be easily passed for that and then funneled to proxy terrorists. How cute is that?
Curious as to the financing of this development. Even at local pay/food rates it will soon add up.
Assume the good old US taxpayer is going to pick up the tab.
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