if Tiger forces and rest of SAA head off to Deraa as you say, would the Golan region be next after that ?

Posted by: aniteleya | Mar 11 2018 17:18 utc | 1

From AMN
"Russian and Syrian forces have retreated from their positions in the strategic Tal Riffat area of northern Aleppo province according to some sources. The reports amid an ongoing and so far highly successful offensive operation by the Turkish Army and allied militias across the governorate’s Afrin region.

If true the reports are true then it is unclear if the retreat from Tal Riffat by Russian and Syrian government forces is being conducted in coordination with Ankara as part of a general withdrawal from the Afrin region."
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-russian-and-syrian-forces-retreat-from

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Mar 11 2018 17:21 utc | 2

thanks b for this update on syria.. it sure looks like coordination with russia - syria - turkey - iran, from where i sit... i like how you use the word takfiris to describe turkeys involvement..i am curious how turkey gets to the next step, given their association with these violent offshoots of the salafi movement? sultan erdogan can't really believe they are representing all that's wonderful and worth embracing with this sunni movement..

Posted by: james | Mar 11 2018 17:26 utc | 3

Erdogan was making some noises about Ghouta earlier so perhaps there is a deal where Erdogan pulls support for the rebel enclaves and Russia pulls support for the Kurds?

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Mar 11 2018 17:33 utc | 4

The possession/control of Agricultural Lands and in particular the wheat producing areas will be a significant factor in ongoing SAA operations.

At present the majority of Syrian agricultural lands are under insurgent or Kurdish control.

Posted by: Charles Wood | Mar 11 2018 17:41 utc | 5

@1
Yes, Golan may be next. That would be interesting. The UN has declared that Golan is in Syria, not Israel.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 11 2018 18:03 utc | 6

I hope peace comes soon to Syria. What the Western powers have done to that country is beyond a crime. No one gave a hoot about Assad a number of years ago. Heck, I remember a photo of the lovely Rep. Nancy Pelosi with a head dress on, visiting that country and having quite a good time. Th hypocrisy is revolting.

Posted by: Jose Garcia | Mar 11 2018 18:06 utc | 7

To Don Bacon:

The UN may have declared that Golan is Syrian territory, but does it matter? The UN are gone, so is the WTO and soon the EU. What's left is the US replacing all of that. We are in the American Century - this concept never failed as some said, it is being pursued vigorously. It just got rebranded as "America First".

Posted by: BX | Mar 11 2018 18:43 utc | 8

Regarding Russia and occupied golan, the border between occupied Golan and the rest of Syria is interesting as marked on the Russian maps of the de-escalation zones.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/deescalationzonessyria-917x516.jpg

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Mar 11 2018 19:26 utc | 9

“Why does anyone believe that the Kurds deserve their own state?” Kurdish nation is more legitimate than Syria as a nation state, where it seems none of the ethnicities want to be with each other. By this visceral hate against Kurds, b reveal themselves to be a fraud - sorry to say.

Posted by: Anon | Mar 11 2018 19:50 utc | 10

@1 @6 @8

If the SAA is willing to just hand over half their country to the US and a Turkey the Americans actually despise but can use better than the Kurds, they sure as hell aren't going up against the US and Israel a country Americans love more than America.

I have to admit none of the stories floating right now make any sense. After years of helping clean up the mess in Syria, Russia is just going to walk away? After logically claiming they didn't want a large terrorist breeding ground on their door step they are going to allow a large terrorist breeding ground in Idlib? One of the key reasons that the KSA, Israel and NATO were able to get an uprising going in the first place was that economic conditions in Syria were deteriorating due to population growth, but now they are going to make a go of it with out any oil and gas and with out a good chunk of the agricultural land and the US able to turn off the water any time they want?

Syria supposedly did a deal with Russia where they exchanged O&G rights for arms. Now Russia is just going to write that off? Puti just drew a nuclear line in the sand a few days ago and is now going to run away like a bitch?

Russia is also going to allow NATO to set up new bases encircling Russia even further? Russia is going to allow NATO do to Iran what they have done to Iraq, Lybia, Syria etc then set up NATO bases there? And other than fighter aircraft what F'ing military resources does NATO have to contribute to all this crap? Germany's 8 Leopard tanks none of which work? The UK's shrinking by the minute military? Lets also keep in mind that after years and years of war even the US aircraft supply is in trouble with more than half of it's aircraft no longer combat coded and very few new aircraft on the way due to the F-35 FU. This at the same time they want to go to war with NoKo and China? Any spare resources NATO has have all been moved to Russia's door step. France just allowed what little presence they had to be kicked out of the ME by Turkey so they won't care. Europe has been standing up to the US over JCOPA but now is going to help the US destroy Iran?

China has no interest in the fact the US is about to be in a position to stop all O&G from the Middle East getting to China if it attacks Iran while threatening their other oil and gas source Russia?

Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are kosher with all this? Syria was able to roll up th bulk of the country when the terrorists were actually strong but had to do a deal to clear East Gouta? Hezbollah is going to allow a Takfiri army which is sworn to destroy Lebanon and that Hezbollah spent years defeating to permanently set up shop on Lebanon's border? None of this makes sense.

People are taking that non-sense al-Monitor piece to seriously.

Don Bacon, I have lots of respect for you but the US isn't replacing squat. Yes they have managed to destroy most of the organizations they built and have been amplifiers for American power. But those aren't being replaced by the US they are being replaced by the many initiatives happening in Asia.

Posted by: BraveNewWorld | Mar 11 2018 19:54 utc | 11

@BNW 11
I never said US was replacing UN, BX 8 did.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 11 2018 20:00 utc | 12

Soon the SAA will up against Turkish forces in Afrin.
Soon the SAA will pacify the Qualamoon and be up against US forces in At Tanf.
Soon the SAA will clear will the Goaln approaches and be up against Israeli forces.

Then what?

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 11 2018 20:05 utc | 13

*Golan

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 11 2018 20:06 utc | 14

one step at a time.....

@10 anon.. i don't see it like that..

Posted by: james | Mar 11 2018 20:18 utc | 15

@b - "Meanwhile the U.S. is on the verge of giving away the Kurdish held Manbij to the Turks."

That's an interesting turn of events. If the Post story is accurate, the new US-Turkey working group on this issue began discussions on Thursday, the 8th.

I had wanted to share this story by Adam Garrie published the same Thursday, pointing out Turkey's joint operation with Iraq - announced that same day also by Turkey - to hit the Kurds from east of the Euphrates, and stay away from Manbij:
Turkey Swaps Syrian Ambitions for an Iraqi Partnership as Operation Olive Branch Nears Completion.

I recommend this analysis by Garrie, it's really good. It illustrates how Turkey no longer holds any ambition for Syrian territory, seeking instead a strong relationship with Iraq, and at the same time deciding not to tangle with the US tripwire troops in Manbij.

And now the US may give up Manbij anyway. Did the US simply blink first in this situation with Turkey? Turkey was never going to blink, but nor did it want to have to tangle with US soldiers. The Iraq move made this moot. And maybe it also brought home to the US how its grip on Iraq is weakening by the day.

Maybe too the US begins to realize the Kurds aren't worth holding on to, since they're ineffective against all other players in the region.

Posted by: Grieved | Mar 11 2018 20:34 utc | 16

@Lozion 13,

There is a lot of momentum building. Looks like Iraqi PMU are taking on the US protected ISIS in northeast Syria.

PMU

This also seems to fold in with @Grieved 16

Posted by: financial matters | Mar 11 2018 20:41 utc | 17

Anon @ 10: On what basis do Kurds deserve their own nation state? The people known as "Kurds" or who identify as "Kurds" speak several different languages that (according to various Wikipedia articles) are as different from each other as English from German. Some Kurdish populations speak Zaza-Gorani languages and these are actually not considered part of the Kurdish group of languages.

Kurds also practise different forms of Islam, with most believing in Sunni Islam but a significant minority also following Shi'ism and Sufism (Alevism).

The fact is that the only thing that "unites" Kurds is that they happen to speak related languages which may not be mutually intelligible: that is, one person speaking one Kurdish language may not be able to understand someone speaking another Kurdish language. This probably explains why for nearly 100 years the Kurds have been unable to form an effective polity in spite of being an "ethnicity".

If you persist in saying that Kurds still deserve their own nation state then the people who make up Syria have even more right to their own nation state: at the very least since 1945 they have had a common politics, economy and society that emphasise living and working together with their differences.

Posted by: Jen | Mar 11 2018 21:08 utc | 18

Why does anyone believe that the Kurds deserve their own state? Their leaders are corrupt and have zero statesmanship. They hang onto illusory aims and ignore the realities of life. Will the Kurds ever learn?

Having its own state or not is not a matter of merit. It's a matter of force.

Morality is the power of the strong; the strong creates his own morality. There's no life after death; no one's judging.

Posted by: VK | Mar 11 2018 22:44 utc | 19

I doubt there is a deal in place for Ghouta as much as there's simply no way for the US, Turkey, KSA, etc. to stop the SAA from retaking the land (other than spouting propaganda about how civilians are being harmed by being freed from being hostages to the terrorists and near-terrorists). Now in the north of Syria, there may be deals all over the place, I can't argue that.

Posted by: WorldBLee | Mar 11 2018 23:07 utc | 20

@16/17 Yes but can Turkey be trusted to leave after anti YPG operations are over? Hardly..

https://twitter.com/acemal71/status/918053148152999936?s=21

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 11 2018 23:44 utc | 21

@10, 18, 19

A Canadian gets used to reading, or being told, that Canada is not a "real" country because everyone is not ethnically similar. It's a common meme, often uncritically accepted among "progressives" who should know better.

Yet, Canada exists, and works, and not through force, as @19 would have it, but through compromise. It is the second most decentralized country in the world, after Switzerland, which also was supposed to fail because its people were not all the same. Yet, despite not having their "own" language and speaking separate languages, the Swiss have found a way to work together and maintain their collective sovereignty.

National strength comes through intelligent and reasonable collaboration. It is also one of the reasons for the historical success of both Christianity and Islam, where the differences among ethnic background were made secondary to shared values.

Israel and the US work to divide the Middle East into ethnic enclaves. Does anyone seriously think these small "nations" will be stronger because they are "ethnically pure"? No, they will be weaker. Which is the whole point.

And the idea that a "pure" ethnic grouping can't have huge sociological fissures running through it is simply ignorance. They ALL do. For an extreme example, just think of North and South Korea today. There are historical reasons for that difference, but the differences are very real.

What makes a nation great is the people's ability to work together collaboratively and well, agreeing on important fundamental values, among an inevitable diversity of people and interests. That is the test.

Those who seek purity seek weakness. Those who demand purity demand weakness.

Posted by: Castellio | Mar 12 2018 0:21 utc | 22

just for those who are not aware, the word "Kurd" did not start as a name of a people, but was the Persian word for nomad.

so their earliest history in not necessarily true, "the caliph fought a rebellion of Kurds" really just mean the caliph fought a rebellion of nomads.

kurdish is a branch of the persian language. and it is not a single language but a collection of various dialects that are not necessarily mutually understandable.

i assume we will have a Gypsy state in europe way before we ever see an independent Kurdistan,

you can only shoot your self in the foot so many time before you bleed out.

Posted by: pB | Mar 12 2018 0:33 utc | 23

@22 Lozion

I believe that in the 4 months since those tweets there has been more of a shift in Turkey. It was always playing multiple options at once, there was never a way all of them could align. Hence the zig-zag nature of its actions. But physical and political realities have all been changing also - and Erdogan has been playing with them as they change.

I'm not saying Erdogan has made good moves, especially. And I have no idea what has gone through his mind, or goes through it now. But geopolitical realities have a shaping effect on countries. It takes a little time.

I think now the gain for Turkey has grown immensely to be an "honest" party in this arrangement. The Adam Garrie link at #16 presents a very reasonable story. Turkey gains more from abandoning the pursuit of any ambition in Syria than from pursuing it.

Posted by: Grieved | Mar 12 2018 2:52 utc | 24

@23 please, let's not try to unpeople the Kurds. They deserve the right to sovereignty and the ability to maintain their culture. This has been a ruthless conflict, and their fates are tied to the West, which has been absolutely terrible throughout the entire Syrian conflict.

The West has been completely outmaneuvered, and the Kurds are paying the price for it. Hopefully Russia and Syria can negotiate terms so as to avoid a slaughter, but Afrin seems to be done-for

Posted by: aaaa | Mar 12 2018 5:21 utc | 25

25
The Syrian Kurds publicly allied with the US, with Israel, with Saudi Arabia. They are now on their own and unless they decide to join the other side they are simply the bad guys.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Mar 12 2018 5:39 utc | 26

@25 im not "unpeopleing" them, but it seems like people think they have been a sedentary people who have lived there since ancient times,

the same thing applies to the baluchistan, baluch first shows up as a persian generic term for nomad.

i have no problem with people claiming to be a group, just don't falsify history to make your case.

Posted by: pB | Mar 12 2018 7:58 utc | 27

@ aniteleya |1

would the Golan region be next after that ?

No, as much as we would like that, its not the time just yet. Its far more important to regain Idlib and South of Syria, as well as East of Euphrates. Syria cant afford to start another front - open war with Israel over Golan now.

Plus Russia will be against it, and they have a lot of sway, as they do a delicate friendship dance with both Syria and Israel.

Posted by: Harry | Mar 12 2018 8:09 utc | 28

Aaaa @ 26: No-one here is "unpeopling" the Kurds - the issue is that someone earlier in this thread said that the Kurdish people had a better claim to being a sovereign nation than the Syrians do. This notion is based on a false belief that only monolinguistic groups or groups professing a single religion or culture deserve to be sovereign nations and that nations made up of different groups are not "natural".

On this basis, as others have noted, countries like Canada and Switzerland should not exist and Somalia (nearly 100% Somali) should be the envy of the world. In what, I do not know.

The problem though is that those people we call "Kurdish" are actually diverse in their languages, religious beliefs, histories and cultures, and because of that diversity they have not been able to coalesce into a polity with common goals and values. The danger is, if the Kurds do form a nation but have little in common, the nation is likely to collapse into warring factions and break apart into statelets. That may well have been the intention all along on the part of the West.

Posted by: Jen | Mar 12 2018 10:18 utc | 29

The PKK (aka YPG for the psyop purpose targeting international audience) defense network in Afrin is by no means a mediocre and medieval system.

Interconnected bunkers, tunnels, anti-tank ditches, trenches etc. were built with the help of a superior world class military mind. It had a very well thought out strategy behind but it didn't stand against the TAF and that's all. The TAF pounded the PKK/YPG defense system for a week, it didn't fall within hours.

The main reason for the PKK defeat has more to do with them fighting an unjust war (Afrin belongs to the people of Afrin, Arabs, Turkmens and some Kurds too) since the PKK are invaders in Afrin as of 2012.

The PKK had massive international support before the Op Olive Branch. Most of the international media and prestigious global advertising agencies in the West did their best to prevent TAF incursion.

Serbian company Kursik's mortar shells used against the TAF by the PKK in Afrin too. The same shells were used during Op Euphrates Shield in Jarablus/Al Bab and in Turkish soil as well. This is just a simple example to show that the PKK have been getting financial, media, arms help from the West and the gulf countries, Saudi, UAE etc.

There are hundreds or even thousands of US+EU based 'politicians' and 'journalists' tweeting about the Op Olive and their present tone is equal to that of the infamous internet TROLLS if not worse. That is sad, people from civilized and democratic Western countries are laughed at by the people from so called 'backward, developing' countries.

An American PKK fighter, David Parker, said "The Kurdish diaspora around the world must take the fight to Erdogan @ jihaddis, ISIS proxies to Turkish embassies, consulates around the world. Burn them all down!. The time for peaceful protests are over. Millions support you, and will stand with you".

That is the dictionary definition of terrorism.

What I noticed was that the PKK didn't put up a real fight against the TAF in Jindares and Racu urban areas. Is there a deal going on behind the doors between Turkish+US+EU+Russian parties I wonder? Or is it because their morale was too low after the fall of their defense lines? Afrin town is currently being deserted, civilians are leaving en mass. There are rumours that the TAF/FSA may not be interested in entering the town center but

The PKK (and their internationl backers) propaganda voyage is as follows:

1)Hey, come and take it if you dare!
2)The aggressors are losing
3)Help, genocide!

Well, the PKK currently occupies a third of the Syrian territory despite 6-7% Kurdish population. This cannot go on for too long. The number of US bases in Syria is about to reach 20. This occupation cannot be sustained against all odds.

The Op Olive was like a needle work. The TAF had to show utmost care not to hurt any civilians and destruction of urban areas had to be avoided. The US+Rus+Regime bombardements have been indiscriminate where as the TAF+FSA has now the upper hand because of the clean fight, cause for good propaganda on their part.

I have read the comments as well. I doubt there is a real intention of establishing a Greater Kurdistan. That would be a Sunni Kurdistan, a potential problem for some people in the world. Maybe pockets of several partially automous regions in 4 neighbouring countries? But how is that possible? Thousands of Turks have lost their lives and they blame Israeli (and their US+EU stations) backed PKK for that. The PKK are viewed as backstabbers, traitors and at least in Turkey they stand no chance of getting any autonomy in the foreseeble future.

Posted by: ConfusedPundit | Mar 12 2018 11:03 utc | 30

@29 Harry,
Yes I agree with you, but the other element is that with SAA and Hezbollah on the rise, Israel's desire to 'teach Iran a lesson' is running out of time. I go on the idea that Israeli aggression is a matter of 'when' not 'if' and the longer they leave it, the stronger the axis of Iran/Iraq/Syria/Lebanon will be. The obvious 'excuse' for Israel is the disputed border with Lebanon and the Golan, so while SAA and Russia may back off from provoking a fight, Israel may seek to draw them in. The omens seem to be for something to happen soon. Russia is getting slated in the western press, Netanyahu is in overdrive on Iran etc. etc.

Posted by: aniteleya | Mar 12 2018 12:52 utc | 31

The main beneficiary of the E. Ghouta situation is the Genie Energy, a US-Israeli company which holds drilling rights in the Golan Heights and the E. Med gas fields some kms opposite direction. The Golan Heights territory is not about water only.

Ghouta terrorists are backed by the Saudis and UAE and also the US, the Israeli proxies basically. Assad needs to send his units to south to Daraa to sort out the Golan Heights problem. It's his land. He has been kept busy at EG and Idlib.

Instead we are all talking about human rights, islam, Assad, Russians, civilians, Kurds, battles, chemical weapons, barrel bombs etc.

Posted by: ConfusedPundit | Mar 12 2018 12:56 utc | 32

@31

A good comment, right until this gem "The US+Rus+Regime bombardements have been indiscriminate where as the TAF+FSA has now the upper hand because of the clean fight, cause for good propaganda on their part."

To lump the US, Russia, and Syrians into one 'indiscriminate' basket, but leave Turkey and her head-chopping allies clean as snow is frankly ridiculous. I'm sure those are the reports one reads in Turkey but in other places the reported deaths from the Turkish bombardment are on par with the 'indiscriminate' Americans, Syrians and Russians.

I don't believe all nations' campaigns are the same. If pure destruction is your metric I personally would call it Americans at the top, followed by Syria, then Turkey and Russia. But to say Turkish bombs = good and everyone else's bombs = bad is nonsense.

Posted by: Don Wiscacho | Mar 12 2018 16:38 utc | 33

@34 don... cp is our own moa erdogan bot, lol...

Posted by: james | Mar 12 2018 16:47 utc | 34

@21 leon kowalski LOL!!!!! You joos are REALLY funny guys. You believe every jooshit possible.

Posted by: hestroy | Mar 12 2018 17:10 utc | 35

"Is there a deal between Syria, Russia, Iran and Turkey about an 'exchange' of east-Ghouta for Afrin?"

The underlying premise is that Syria's national integrity is sacrosanct. Russia has stated this explicitly. If it agrees to Syria being partitioned, it can hardly complain when outsiders attempt to partition Russia, as the Anglo-Zionist would love to. Various states involved have their own existential national security threats that require careful balancing when coupled with domestic politics. The creation of Kurdistan is an existential threat to Turkey and Iran. The survival of the terrorists is an existential threat to Russia. Syria and Turkey cannot be seen to be cooperating for domestic politics reasons, hence the dance.

The Kurds are the problem. They seem pathologically incapable of learning about the treachery of the US. Their best peaceful outcome is to be citizens of the respective countries they live in. If they chose violence, then that is what they will get.

As for the terrorists, unfortunately Syria is the best place to deal with them, ideally in Idlib, hence the transfer of them from east Ghouta to Idlib. There they can be controlled and eliminated more easily in a largely rural setting.

Posted by: Anonymous | Mar 12 2018 17:22 utc | 36

A French map of the Syrian demographic in 1935 showing a large Kurdish block in the area from the western edge of Afrin town stretching through into what is now Hatay province in Turkey.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Syria#/media/File:Population_map_Syria

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Mar 12 2018 17:47 utc | 37

Dear Don Wiscacho | Mar 12, 2018 12:38:20 PM | 34

I'm talking about Op Olive vs US-SR-Rus ops elsewhere in Syria, such as those in Raqqa, Ghouta, Ayn al Arab etc. What 'reported deaths' due to 'indiscriminate TAF bombardement' are you talking about please? The source? Perhaps I may be given a chance to have a go at refuting the claims? Plus what head-choppers? They are same Hollywood characters. The TAF had to kill 3600 of them during Jarablus/Al Bab operation. If you are talking about AQ-Nusra kind of guys, well, they are mercenaries n Idlib paid, armed, tuitioned, transported (and now getting recycled for new ops) by Israel-US-EU. Nobody else is accountable for their mischievous acts.

Dear james | Mar 12, 2018 12:47:46 PM | 35

Reputation destruction campaign against me as usual?

Anyway, I keep reading late French and US statements setting the grounds for an attack on the Syrian regime lest Assad sends troops down to South. Israel's mercenaries have to make sure 40km into the Syrian soil is carved out on behalf of Israel. The Ro-Ro Brothers are at work. They have oil and gas in the area all the way to the Southwest of Cyprus island.

Posted by: ConfusedPundit | Mar 12 2018 17:58 utc | 38

PM May saying Russia poisoned the ex spy with military grade nerve agent, Haley screeching at the UN and Macron making noises about gas attacks. Sounds the US, Brits, French are psyching themselves up for an attack on Syria over Ghouta.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Mar 12 2018 18:38 utc | 39

@cp... half joke, half the way i see you.. i agree with many of your statements too though, so it is a mixed bag! cheers james

Posted by: james | Mar 12 2018 19:45 utc | 40

I wonder how the literate Kurds who have a realistic view on events and who feel for Afrin feel about the situation in relation to their USA patron. The USA cooking up all sorts of malicious plans to save the Al Qaeda terrorists in the Damascus suburbs from annihilation. But at the same time in Afrin the Kurds are completely being wiped out to the last (wo)man by Turkey and it's Al Qaeda terrorist shock troops and the USA is not lifting the slightest finger. Not diplomatically in the UN(SC), economically or any other way. That must hurt, knowing that your people are mere pawns on a chessboard being discarded when it's just inconvenient to the player.

Posted by: xor | Mar 12 2018 20:41 utc | 41

@40..indeed.. Empty threats? Lame rethoric or Casus Belli in the making? Will the false flag work or has humanity’s «No more Wars » threshold been attained..?

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 12 2018 20:47 utc | 42

@40 peter / @ 43 lozion.. the other background factor is the russian election march 18th... they have 6 days to pull a rabbit out of the hat..

Posted by: james | Mar 12 2018 22:12 utc | 43

@25 Grieved, not according to Magnier who says Hezbollah is leaving areas close to US/Turkish bases to focus on Lebanon & Israel because it understands the 2 powers wont leave anything soon. I fear he is right, unless Russia exerts enough pressure on Turkey, Afrin county, West Idlb and Northern Aleppo may become the new Northern Cyprus (until the SAA engages Turkey, then all bets are off)..

https://ejmagnier.com/2018/03/13/a-divided-syria-hezbollah-withdraws-some-forces/

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 13 2018 3:18 utc | 44

Lozion | Mar 12, 2018 11:18:20 PM | 45

"Afrin county, West Idlb and Northern Aleppo may become the new Northern Cyprus (until the SAA engages Turkey, then all bets are off).."

The US imposed sanctions on Turkey after N. Cyprus incursion. The Turks retaliated by closing down all bases in 1975 and 5000 US troops went back home. This time however is a little different. Turks will not trust the US anymore. It's over and for good or at least until the US is governed by real Americans. Any Turkish government sits down with the US will loose support from the people. So the only option for the western powers is to start domestic troubles in Turkey just like they did it in Syria.

I believe the US+EU (Israel) don't really want Assad to go at the moment. There are millions of Syrian refugees who don't want Assad either. Assad goes = refugees return to Syria = A disaster for the Ro-Ro Brothers. The refugees should stay out just like the Palestinians until work is complete.

Cyprus case, E. Ghouta case, Afrin, Idlib, Deir-EzZor, Jordan, they are all on the same fault line, oil and gas fields. Greeks are being used as mercenaries to provoke Turks too, just like the Americans and EU folks.

Brits had been very quiet until now, they didn't get involve in the Syrian sistuation apart from giving spoilers about US plans every now and then but they are now more outspoken because time's up. Something's going to happen soon. Peter @ 40 rings some bells for me, he could be right.

Posted by: ConfusedPundit | Mar 13 2018 11:01 utc | 45

@46 Ro Ro brothers? What on earth are you talking about?

Posted by: Lozion | Mar 13 2018 21:09 utc | 46

Turkish flags flying all the Syrian territory of Afrin. Looks like Turkey is getting their "security zone" after all (with or without the U.S.). And the "restraint" of the Turkish supported terrorists is no greater than ISIS. And, if reports are correct, Turkey's pet terrorists are massing north of Aleppo. Does Russia have a plan for Turkey's incursion, or are they too busy elsewhere?

Posted by: rcentros | Mar 19 2018 12:23 utc | 47