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left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts) Fri Dec 28, 2018, 06:09 PM Dec 2018

Syria's Kurds, Feeling Betrayed by the U.S., Ask Assad Government for Protection

Feeling betrayed by the United States, its Kurdish allies in Syria asked the Syrian government on Friday to protect them from possible attack by Turkey.

The request appeared to help open the way for the forces of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, backed by Russia and Iran, to start retaking the Kurdish-held part of the country near Turkey’s border. That would be a big step toward Mr. Assad’s goal of reclaiming all of Syria, upended by almost eight years of war.

It also was the first sign that President Trump’s abrupt announcement last week that he was withdrawing American troops from Syria was not only shifting alliances in the conflict but directly benefiting Mr. Assad — a brutal autocrat once described by Mr. Trump as an “animal” responsible for chemical attacks and other atrocities.

The request amounted to a United States ally calling on an enemy of the United States to protect it from another American ally, Turkey.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/world/middleeast/syria-kurds-turkey-manbij.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

4 replies

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Syria's Kurds, Feeling Betrayed by the U.S., Ask Assad Government for Protection (Original Post) left-of-center2012 Dec 2018 OP

Sorry Kurdish people; good luck gratuitous Dec 2018 #1

Indeed. Our defective election process ended up making the US a russian satellite state PSPS Dec 2018 #2

This could spark WW3 if it goes badly NickB79 Dec 2018 #3

Possible but not likely. Caliman73 Dec 2018 #4

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)

1. Sorry Kurdish people; good luck

Reply to left-of-center2012 (Original post)

Fri Dec 28, 2018, 06:12 PM

Dec 2018

Trump comes out of this looking extraordinarily weak and impotent. When the inevitable train wreck ensues from the withdrawal of our troops (because you know that the Trump administration will fuck it up), and thousands of people are massacred, I wonder if anyone will dare blame Trump?

PSPS

(13,599 posts)

2. Indeed. Our defective election process ended up making the US a russian satellite state

Reply to gratuitous (Reply #1)

Fri Dec 28, 2018, 06:20 PM

Dec 2018

NickB79

(19,246 posts)

3. This could spark WW3 if it goes badly

Reply to left-of-center2012 (Original post)

Fri Dec 28, 2018, 07:17 PM

Dec 2018

Syria moves in with Russian support to counter Turkey, a NATO state. Things get heated, shots are fired, and before you know it a NATO-Russia proxy war has broken out.

Caliman73

(11,738 posts)

4. Possible but not likely.

Reply to NickB79 (Reply #3)

Fri Dec 28, 2018, 07:26 PM

Dec 2018

For One: Syria, if they take the Kurdish forces up on their request, will most likely stop at their border not wanting to provoke a Turkish response.

For Two: Turkey, not knowing the level of commitment that that the US and NATO has to step in should Syria overstep, will likely not attack.

For Three: Remember that Turkey downed a Russian fighter awhile back and while there was tension, there was no war. Russia wants to increase its influence in the region, not set off a war in which its military vulnerabilities are exposed by direct contact with NATO forces.

I think that the poor Kurds are going to be the only ones hurting in this scenario. Why should any group trust America after this betrayal?

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