War breaking out in the Middle East: Israel vs Syria, May 2018 (perhaps entangling Iran, Russia and the US)

[shaberon]

While not specifically Syria, this is related. The Saudis are whining because a likely Houthi attack has made Aramco plummet $500 billion. They would rather blame Iran and pull puppy Pompeo in line for additional hubris.

The missiles probably were made by Iran any time in the past ten years.

If "made in" means "done by", well, then the U. S. must have blasted away all those Yemeni civilians, but of course they are not equal to oil.

I guess that is why I saw a headline on a paper "expect gas prices to rise". They might be printing that one every few days until there is no Aramco left.

There are some whispers that the U. S. actually used these Iranian missiles so the Aramco company can be chopped up and sold for cheap. I don't know. But evidently the smoke could easily be seen by satellites.

Syria is just chipping into Idlib, it is a mess, one of the most densely-populated areas with militias all hiding inside the "human shield". The SDF continues forced child recruitment as "our regional partner".





On Saturday, Saudi Arabia had to shut down two Saudi Aramco oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais, after a drone attack claimed by Yemeni Houthis caused massive fires. The incident led to a cut in oil production totalling 5.7 million barrels per day, which is around half of Saudi Arabia’s daily oil output.

[shaberon]

What appears to be actually happening is Turkey is tired of U. S. waste of time. They are making enough incursion that the U. S. is withdrawing. Syria and Russia, however, are moving in, mainly Aleppo and Manbij.

“If Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!)” the president threatened via tweet on Monday – an odd turn of phrase for what otherwise seemed like a dire warning to a supposed ally.

The Kurdish militias are moving to engage the Turks, this is what the U. S. backs or considers its asset, so the "battle" is mainly between Kurds and Turks, but they cannot be said to be operating in a vacuum.

[shaberon]

Foresight on this was brief. Turkey already opened fire with planes and tanks on the SDF Kurdish militia.

The U. S. is gone, whether because it is another NATO member, or, because the Turkish force can certainly defend itself, is hard to say. Everyone else, of course, knew they would not be there, and so the SDF is now in the position of negotiating with Syria and Russia. They will take the 6,000 trucks of American gear and get it destroyed, looted, sell it, and maybe keep a few.

Without Washington's backing, I don't see how they can continue to function, since most of the Kurds don't like them. It is still accurate to say there are at least two Kurdish factions, the SDF as sellouts to U. S. and Israel, and the majority of the rest of them who are more normal.

If Turkey ends the SDF, it would be doing Syria a huge favor. If they act sensibly, they can actually roll through this with a "mission accomplished", without tangling with Syria and Russia. It depends a bit on how the real Kurdish Peshmerga responds.

[shaberon]

While not in Syria, but related to the wider nemesis, an Iranian tanker was hit by probably two missiles while in the Red Sea about sixty miles from Jeddah. It was good damage to the main tanks and temporarily caused an oil spill, but did not cripple the tanker, which is attempting to return home. Iran is not making a "hasty" response and says it will definitely do something after an investigation.

Meanwhile, in Syria, the Pentagon says American troops were attacked by Turkey at a known position. It would not be surprising if this only means shells landed in what they consider their thirty mile perimeter, no word on damage.

[shaberon]

The range of the "close shelling" to the Americans was actually about 1 km, next hill over.

In the relatively rapid Turkish advance, it appears one or more of the American posts has gotten isolated between the two opposing forces, in their relatively clumsy withdrawal. Syria is moving further along, whether as a barrier or an attack on the Turks, remains to be seen.

The Arab League turned against Turkey, and wants Syria to enter the league.

Unlike Saudi or Israel, Turkey at least shows it is a regional power that can do whatever it wants with no concern for the U. S., and if NATO and Arab League ostracize them, they can still work this out and be in the Russian sphere. Although they are a bit punch drunk and doing something dangerous and illegal, all they really have to do is knock SDF 20-30 miles away from the border and then transfer security. Syria definitely will not tolerate a permanent occupation like there is at Hatay, but they do not have the ability to make the Turks leave overnight.

[Cara]

Update on the latest in Syria:

Syrian Government Regains Control Over Country's Northeastern Parts
October 14, 2019

Eight days ago U.S. President Donald Trump gave a green light for another Turkish invasion of Syria. We explained why that move made it inevitable for the Kurds to submit to Damascus and to let the Syrian Arab Army back into northeast Syria:

While the YPG might want to fight off a Turkish invasion they have little chance to succeed. The land is flat and the YPG forces only have light arms.

There is only one solution for them. They will have to call up the Syrian government and ask it to come back into the north east. That would remove the Turkish concerns and would likely prevent further Turkish moves.

After Trump had spoken with the Turkish president Erdogan, the U.S. military removed a few of its forces from some areas near the Turkish border. The Pentagon was still under the false impression that Turkey would limit its invasion to some 5 kilometer in depth. It was obvious, as we wrote, that Turkey wanted far more:

A major goal is to interrupt the M4 highway that runs parallel to the border and allows for troop movements between the east and the west of the Kurdish majority areas. The highway is about 20-30 kilometers from the border.

The M4 road is also one of the major logistical routes for the U.S. troops stationed in the western part.

The Kurds could do little to resist the Turkish onslaught. On Saturday Turkish supported "Syrian rebels" reached the M4 highway and captured and killed several Kurdish troops and civilians who were passing by. The Pentagon finally took notice of the imminent danger:

“This is total chaos,” a senior administration official said at midday, speaking on the condition of anonymity about the confusing situation in Syria.

Although “the Turks gave guarantees to us” that U.S. forces would not be harmed, the official said, Syrian militias allied with them “are running up and down roads, ambushing and attacking vehicles,” putting American ­forces — as well as civilians — in danger even as they withdraw. The militias, known as the Free Syrian Army, “are crazy and not reliable.”

Ahhhh. The "Free Syrian Army", which the U.S. built and supplied with an immense amount of weapons to fight the Syrian government, is "crazy and not reliable". How come that all the think tankers and 'journalists' who for years lauded that 'army' never noticed that?

The Pentagon finally recognized that it was not possible to hold onto the area without starting a war with its NATO partner Turkey. On Saturday evening Trump gave the order that all U.S. troops shall leave northeast Syria within 30 days. The Secretary of Defense did not resign as his predecessor did over a similar decision but defended the move.

The decision was the kick in the ass the Kurds needed to agree to the return of Syrian government troops to the area they had held on to while under U.S. command. Currently Syrian troops and their heavy weapons are streaming in. Their primary task is to prevent any further encroachment by Turkish forces. They will also move to retake the oil fields east of Deir Ezzor and they will take control of the prison camps where ISIS fighters are held.


bigger

As of this writing Syrian troops (red) have entered Manbij, Ain al Issa, Tabqa airbase near Raqqa and Tel Tamr. Turkish supported groups (green) hold Tell Abyad and Ras al-Ayn and the villages between those two cities. That area has an Arab majority population.

The Kurds wish to keep their 'autonomous administration' of northeast Syria. While talks are still ongoing I do not expect that the mostly Arab inhabitants of the whole area, nor the Syrian government will agree to that. There can not be a special status for any of Syria's many ethnic or religious groups.

The Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces will be disbanded. Its soldiers will be integrated into the Syrian army. The Syrian government will also disband the 'autonomous' Kurdish administration. It will confiscate the weapons the U.S. has given to the Kurds. All this will take some time but it will, in the end, remove the Turkish concerns that the organized Syrian Kurdish groups could enter Turkey to fight on the side of their PKK separatist brethren.

The U.S. had more than 1,000 troops in northeast Syria. There were also several hundred French and British special forces and some 2,000 U.S. contractors. They, and a huge amount of equipment, are now moving out. They have nothing to fear from the Syrian forces. Syria is happy to see them leave. (Reports that the U.S.yesterday bombed Syrian troops are false.)

The strategic plan behind last week's development must have come from Moscow. Russia has tried for some time to get Turkey into its camp. Russia, Iran and Syria allowed Turkey a limited invasion of Syria to scare the U.S. out. Russia largely supported the Turkish move but it will also set its limits.

Trump has been looking for a chance to move the U.S. troops out of Syria since December 2018. The borg made that politically unfeasible. The Turkish (Russian) move gave him the excuse he needed.

It is possible that the whole arrangement was made for exactly that purpose.

From: https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/1...ern-parts.html

[shaberon]

In their might, the Turks have managed to bomb a civilian convoy, killing and wounding French journalists. In the occupied towns, civilian casualties are high. No white kid gloves here.

Since Syria was granted entry to Manbij, the non-state Turkish backed proxies think they have something to do with it:

Youssef Hammoud, the spokesman for the Turkey-backed militants, stated that militants would continue to advance toward Manbij, after Syrian government forces had entered the strategic city.

Like the SDF, they do not really have a future.

The Americans and Syrians drove by each other while "changing guard" at Kobani:

[shaberon]

This is not quite a law yet, however, a Syrian Analyst has given about fifteen points of the deal between Syria and "the Kurds". Although there is an "et cetera", this point seemed worthy of note:

1/ The abolishment of the #SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), with all the current Kurdish forces and military groups joining the 5th Corps (Assault Legion) under Russian control

There are thousands of displaced Arabs in Turkey who see Turkey as making it possible for them to return to Syria. Under the hood of "divisiveness" there really seems to be genuine cooperation and acceptance of most Arab and Kurdish people towards another. The displaced Arabs mainly blame U. S.-backed Kurdish militias.

That would be the best thing, wouldn't it, if the militias dissolve, Turkey no longer has a target. If Turkey does not withdraw, then the U. S. and Europe have already put themselves on the side of relatively defending Syria from Turkey. That sounds strange, but, as has been said, if the U. S. quit provoking the region, it will settle itself.

[Cara]

Update on Syria:

Russian army puts up bridge in record time to deploy heavy arms, aid across Euphrates
Damascus main forces are gearing up for a mass crossing of the Euphrates


© Russian Defense Ministry press servive/TASS

DEIR EZ-ZOR /Syria/, September 26. /TASS/. Russian road service military experts have erected a bridge across the Euphrates River, a few kilometers away from Deir ez-Zor in northeastern Syria. It will be used to deploy military equipment and troops to the eastern river bank.

The MARM small motorway panel bridge was erected in less than two days under continuous shelling, Head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Road Service Vladimir Burovtsev told reporters.

"Unmanned aerial vehicles were used. Explosive substances and grenades were falling on us from the air during the installation work. However, we have no losses. No injured or affected. Everything was erected in the set terms," he specified.

The bridge is 210 meters long. It can serve 8,000 cars a day. The bridge supports heavy armored vehicles, such as tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and multiple-launch rocket systems, Burovtsev said. The bridge will also be used for aid convoys to liberated communities and medical evacuations.

Syrian state forces liberated most part of Deir ez-Zor in early September. IS’ (Islamic State, a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) main forces were forced to retreat to the opposite, or eastern side of the river bank.

Ahead of the bridge’s construction, only the advance detachments of the Syrian army crossed the river with the use of pontoons. Now the main government forces are preparing for mass crossing of the Euphrates.

From: https://tass.com/defense/967468

[shaberon]

Unsurprisingly:

""Footage proves last week’s attack on an Iranian oil tanker was carried out by the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said on Wednesday.

The evidence “will be taken to the UN and the Security Council so that those countries behind this terrorist attack would pay for their action,” Abolfazl Hassanbeigi was quoted by Iranian news agency Mehr as saying."

The incident smelled Israeli-style from around the world, tempting a counter-attack so either Iran would get lured into war or it would "appear weak" by not doing so. Since the era of Ukraine and Malaysian airliner and Syria, the actual bringing of evidence to public view makes the Zionist-Wahhabist axis look throroughly incompetent. They are good about pushing mass numbers of people and twisted truth online, to use "strength" to spread Big Lie, and, even though it still works to some extent, I believe that we are seeing that even success in Big Lie is no longer effective.

The U. S. left Manbij in such a hurry that all the air-conditioned tents with hardware, personal items, and even an unfinished meal have been seized by the "other side"., as well as an operational Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device.

A puppy was also glad to greet the newcomers.

That is an impressive bridge, 210m in two days, with the Russians pretty much embedding themselves in the line of contact between Syria and Turkey.

Syria is now in Raqqa for the first time in six years. Just about everything the U. S. "gained" by empowering militias has been handed to Syria carte blanche. New bridge, extra airbase, all kinds of things working out now. Turkey arrested 200 of its own people for opposing the military online.

Turkey needs to inflict enough damage so the Kurds will be forced to turn coat. If they back down too early, nothing will happen, and if they stay too long, they will be in a dire position. They have little choice but to master the art of brinksmanship in real time.

[Cara]

So: the majority of the Turkish invasion force were US proxies and the Kurds were also US proxies....

War is a Racket?

Incredible scoop by @MaxBlumenthal: 21 of the 28 "rebel" factions in the Turkish mercenary army invading Syria and massacring civilians were supported by the US

18 were backed by the CIA, 3 by the Pentagon

14 got US-supplied TOW anti-tank guided missiles

[shaberon]

Posted by Cara (here)
So: the majority of the Turkish invasion force were US proxies and the Kurds were also US proxies....

To an extent. We can't really say Ankara totally directly controls all those groups. But at the very least, it turned a blind eye to anyone from Chechnya or China who happened to want to pass its entrances to Syria with any kind of equipment they had. Some of it currently appears to be white phosphorous.

So far, U. S. and Israeli arms have been found in most of the captured hideouts. Without the backing, most of these militias could not do much. The Americans that died in Libya were one of these arms deals gone bad. Moderate rebels indeed. Been a while since we heard that one.

Syria is in Kobani and the U. S. bombed one of its own bases or possibly ammunition depot on the way out.

This is a bit like what happened in Saigon. Except this time, there is major reconstruction to be done by China, Iran, and Russia, for the New Silk Road. Something like a historical shift.

[shaberon]

Now, Turkey says they do not need to attack anyone else. They seem to feel the Kurds have evacuated the "security zone", part of which unfortunately involved handing some villages to Turkey instead of Syria.

The Americans sent most personnel to Iraq, where they are not supposed to stay, although there is no indication of them actually "going home". They took many of the ISIL wives. Part of the big deal here is what happens to ISIL prisoners by the thousands. Some would think the U. S. just wants to re-install ISIL into Iraq.

“The Sochi agreement has cemented the Russian-Turkish cooperation in Syria also effectively reducing the American influence in the country,” Demidras said. “United Syria has been secured.”

The remaining problems are mainly the U. S. at Al-Tanf surrounded by mercenaries, and the mainly Saudi and Turkish backed groups nested in the densely-populated Idlib province. Since neither of these can really expand, there is not really a "tear apart the country" movement that has any future.

The cruise missile attacks, the Israeli air force, the downing of a Russian spy plane, all are blatant provocations that could easily have triggered greater conflict, and even now with Turkey it still hasn't. Although it is not out of the question Syria may attack any Turkish force on its soil. The fact of their invasion would trigger the mutual defense pact with Iran, therefor it is valid for them to send reinforcements.

[Franny]

US Troops Staying in Syria to ‘Keep the Oil’ Have Already Killed Hundreds
October 24, 2019

Hundreds of American soldiers are remaining in Syria, not to ensure to safety of any group of people, but to occupy the country’s oil reserves and block the Syrian government from revenue needed for reconstruction, reports Ben Norton.

By Ben Norton
The Grayzone

U.S. President Donald Trump has reassured supporters that he is “bringing soldiers home” from the “endless” war in Syria. But that is simply not the case.

While Trump has ordered a partial withdrawal of the approximately 1,000 American troops on Syrian territory — who have been enforcing an illegal military occupation under international law — U.S. officials and the president himself have admitted that some will be staying. And they will remain on Syrian soil not to ensure to safety of any group of people, but rather to maintain control over oil and gas fields.

The U.S. military has already killed hundreds of Syrians, and possibly even some Russians, precisely in order to hold on to these Syrian fossil fuel reserves.

Washington’s obsession with toppling the Syrian government refuses to die. The United States remains committed to preventing Damascus from retaking its own oil, as well as its wheat-producing breadbasket region, in order to starve the government of revenue and prevent it from funding reconstruction efforts.

The Washington Post noted in 2018 that the U.S. and its Kurdish allies were militarily occupying a massive “30 percent slice of Syria, which is probably where 90 percent of the pre-war oil production took place.”

Now, for the first time, Trump has openly confirmed the imperialist ulterior motives behind maintaining a US military presence in Syria.

“We want to keep the oil,” Trump confessed in a cabinet meeting on Oct. 21. “Maybe we’ll have one of our big oil companies to go in and do it properly.”

Three days earlier, the president tweeted, “The U.S. has secured the Oil.”

The New York Times confirmed the strategy on Oct. 20. Citing a “senior administration official,” the newspaper reported:

“President Trump is leaning in favor of a new Pentagon plan to keep a small contingent of American troops in eastern Syria, perhaps numbering about 200, to combat the Islamic State and block the advance of Syrian government and Russian forces into the region’s coveted oil fields.

… A side benefit would be helping the Kurds keep control of oil fields in the east, the official said.”

Trump then explicitly reiterated this policy in a White House press briefing on the Syria withdrawal on Oct. 23.

“We’ve secured the oil (in Syria), and therefore a small number of U.S. troops will remain in the area where they have the oil,” Trump said. “And we’re going to be protecting it. And we’ll be deciding what we’re going to do with it in the future.”

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBiJCEmHe_k

Using ISIS as Excuse

U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper – the former vice president of government relations at top weapons manufacturer Raytheon, before being promoted by Trump to the head of the Pentagon – revealed the actual U.S. policy on Syria in a press conference on the 21st:

“We have troops in towns in northeast Syria that are located next to the oil fields. The troops in those towns are not in the present phase of withdrawal.

… Our forces will remain in the towns that are located near the oil fields.”

Esper added that the U.S. military is “maintaining a combat air patrol above all of our forces on the ground in Syria.”

Unlike Trump, Esper offered an excuse to justify the continued U.S. military occupation of Syria’s oil fields. He insisted that American soldiers remain to help the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold on to the resources and prevent ISIS jihadists from taking them over.

This led mainstream corporate media outlets like CNN to report, “Defense secretary says some U.S. troops will temporarily stay in Syria to protect oil fields from ISIS.”

But any observer who carefully parsed Esper’s comments during his press conference would have been able to detect the real goal behind the prolonged U.S. presence in northeastern Syria. As Esper said, “A purpose of those [US] forces, working with the SDF, is to deny access to those oil fields by ISIS and others who may benefit from revenues that could be earned.”



Excerpt from Pentagon’s transcript of the Mark Esper press conference.

“And others who may benefit from their revenues earned” is a crucial qualifier. In fact, Esper used this language – “ISIS and others” – two more times in his presser.

Who exactly Esper meant by “others” is clear: The U.S. strategy is to prevent Syria’s UN-recognized government and the Syrian majority that lives under its control from retaking their own oil fields and reaping the benefits of their revenue.

Hundreds Massacred

This is not just speculation. CNN made it plain when it reported the following in an undeniably blunt passage, citing anonymous U.S. senior military officials:

“The US military has long had military advisers embedded with the Syrian Democratic Forces near the Syrian oil fields at Deir Ezzoir ever since the area was captured from ISIS. The loss of those oil fields denied ISIS a major source of revenue, a one-time source of funds that has differentiated the organization from other terror groups.

The oil fields are assets that have also been long sought after by Russia and the Assad regime, which is strapped for cash after years of civil war. Both Moscow and Damascus hope to use oil revenues to help rebuild western Syria and solidify the regime’s hold.

In a bid to seize the oil fields, Russian mercenaries attacked the areas, leading to a clash that saw dozens if not hundreds of Russian mercenaries killed in U.S.airstrikes, an episode that Trump has touted as proof he is tough on Russia. That action helped deter Russian or regime forces from making similar bids for the oil fields.

The U.S.forces near the oil fields remain in place and senior military officials had previously told CNN that they would likely be among the last to leave Syria.”

CNN thus acknowledged that the U.S. military had killed up to “hundreds” of Syrian and Russia-backed fighters seeking to gain access to Syria’s oil fields. It massacred these fighters not for humanitarian reasons, but to prevent the Syrian government from using “oil revenues to help rebuild western Syria.”

This shockingly direct admission flew in the face of the popular myth that the U.S. was keeping troops in Syria to protect Kurds from an assault by NATO member Turkey.

The CNN report was an apparent reference to the Battle of Khasham, a little known but important episode in the eight-year international proxy war on Syria.

The battle unfolded on Feb. 7, 2018, when the Syrian military and its allies launched an attack to try to retake major oil and gas reserves in Syria’s Deir ez-Zour governorate, which were being occupied by American troops and their Kurdish proxies.

The New York Times seemed to revel in the news that the U.S. military massacred 200 to 300 fighters after hours of “merciless airstrikes from the United States.”

The Times repeatedly stressed that Deir ez-Zour is “oil-rich.” And it cited anonymous U.S. officials who claimed that many of the slaughtered fighters were Russian nationals from the private military company the Wagner Group. These unnamed “American intelligence officials” told the Times that the alleged Russian fighters were “in Syria to seize oil and gas fields and protect them on behalf of the Assad government.”

The Times noted that U.S. special operations forces from JSOC were working with Kurdish forces at an outpost next to Syria’s important Conoco gas plant. The Kurdish-led SDF had seized this facility from ISIS in 2017 with the help of the U.S.military. The Wall Street Journal noted at the time that the “plant is capable of producing nearly 450 tons of gas a day,” and was one of ISIS’ most important sources of funding.

The newspaper added, “The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, are racing against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad for territorial gains in Syria’s east.” The commodities monitoring websites MarketWatch and OilPrice.com were closely following the story and analyzing which forces would take over one of Syria’s most important gas plants.

Starving Syria of Oil & Wheat

For the Syrian government, regaining control over its oil and gas reserves in the eastern part of its territory is crucial to paying for reconstruction efforts and social programs — especially at a time when suffocating U.S. and EU sanctions have crippled the economy, caused fuel shortages, and severely hurt Syria’s civilian population.

The U.S. has aimed to prevent Damascus from retaking profitable territory, starving it of natural resources from fossil fuels to basic foodstuffs.

In 2015, then-President Barack Obama deployed U.S. troops to northeastern Syria on the grounds of helping the Kurdish militia the People’s Protection Units (YPG) fight ISIS. What started as several dozen U.S. special operations forces quickly ballooned into some 2,000 troops, largely stationed in northeastern Syria.

As these U.S. soldiers enabled the YPG retake territory from ISIS, they solidified Washington’s control over nearly one-third of Syrian sovereign territory — territory that just so happened to include 90 percent of Syria’s oil, as well as 70 percent of its wheat.

The U.S. subsequently forced the Kurdish-led YPG to rebrand as the SDF, and then treated them as proxies to try to weaken the Syrian government and its allies Iran and Russia.

In June, Reuters confirmed that Kurdish-led authorities had agreed to stop selling wheat to Damascus, after the U.S. pressured them to do so.

The Grayzone has reported how the Center for a New American Security, a leading Democratic Party foreign policy think tank bankrolled by the U.S. and NATO, proposed using the “wheat weapon” to starve Syria’s civilian population.

A former Pentagon researcher-turned-senior fellow at the think tank declared openly, “Wheat is a weapon of great power in this next phase of the Syrian conflict.” He added, “It can be used to apply pressure on the Assad regime, and through the regime on Russia, to force concessions in the UN-led diplomatic process.”

Trump appeared to echo this strategy in his Oct. 21 cabinet meeting.

“We want to keep the oil, and we’ll work something out with the Kurds so that they have some money, have some cashflow,” he said. “Maybe we’ll have one of our big oil companies to go in and do it properly.”

While Trump has pledged to bring U.S. soldiers home and end their military occupation of Syrian territory – which is illegal under international law – it is evident that the broader regime change war continues.

A brutal economic war on Damascus is escalating, not only through sanctions but through the theft of Syria’s natural treasures by foreign powers.

Ben Norton is a journalist and writer. He is a reporter for The Grayzone, and the producer of the “Moderate Rebelspodcast,” which he co-hosts with Max Blumenthal. His website is BenNorton.com, and he tweets at @BenjaminNorton.

This article is from The Grayzone.

[shaberon]

Yes, "ISIS is defeated", that's why the troops are coming home, instead of defending anything against it...

The actual amount of oil in Syria is pretty small, and there is not a heck of a lot the U. S. can do or is doing with it. At most, that aspect probably amounts to the inconvenience of denying Syria its own stuff. If trucks are stealing it, that is not a problem for satellites to find.

So they want to start an autonomous Kurdish operation around Al-Tanf. We shall see how this falls apart.

[shaberon]

I was a bit off. Lavrov, of course, has condemned the American troops' move, but, they say they already have evidence of the U. S. smuggling oil from there recently.

Syria says that Turkey attacked Ras al-Ain while Syrian troops were deploying there. They have stretched about 90km across villages near the border. Again, this does not quite say the Syrian Army itself received any damage, but there was some kind of Turkish fire where there are no Kurds. Seems like a bad idea since they are surrounded on three sides.

[Cara]

Turkey seems to be blackmailing the EU:

Turkey says to start sending IS fighters home amid row with Europe

ANKARA, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkey said that it would start sending captured foreign Islamic State (IS) fighters to their countries next week amid a row with European nations.

Over the last week, Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu has several times harshly criticized European countries for inaction, vowing to repatriate IS militants, even if their citizenship has been revoked.

On Friday, he was even more direct and told semi-official Anadolu news agency that the repatriation process will start as soon as Monday.

"Now we are telling you that we are going to send them back to you. We are starting this on Monday," said the minister, without indicating to which countries the unknown number of IS fighters would be send.

Earlier this week, Soylu warned European states and urged them to take immediate action, saying "Turkey is not a hotel for foreign terrorists."

Following its military incursion in northeastern Syria in October, the interior minister has stated that Ankara had around 1,200 foreign IS fighters and members of their families in its custody, 287 of whom had been captured during its cross-border operation.

The Ministry of Justice is working on legal ways to repatriate those militants to their countries of origin and "will soon take the necessary steps," pro-government Turkish daily Yeni Safak said.

The intransigent position of Ankara, frustrated with European inaction, is also linked to the deterioration of relations between Turkey and its Western allies after the lack of support in the offensive against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, considered as "terrorists" by Turkish authorities.

Several European Union members have stripped their citizens detained in Iraq and Syria of their nationality, preventing them to return home, fearing that they would radicalize people there. They, instead, are insisting that these fighters and family members be convicted in their country of detention.

Britain has stripped more that 100 people of their citizenship for allegedly joining jihadist groups abroad.

But Ankara criticizes Western countries for resisting repatriation by revoking citizenships. "This is sheer irresponsibility," Soylu also said.

Turkish specialists argue that European nations are not bearing their responsibilities in this matter, leaving Turkey, which has over the last years faced deadly IS terror attacks in big cities, to clean up their mess.

"The logical thing to do is evidently to send these people to their countries of origin. But, until now the international community has been unable to find common ground for a solution to the issue," Erol Basaran Bural, analyst at Ankara think thank 21st Century Institute, told Xinhua.

This ex-Turkish army officer argued that Europe was "exploiting legal grey areas" surrounding the problem and throwing the controversial issue into Turkey's lap.

"European nations are seemingly closing their eyes to the issue and Turkey is pressuring them to open them and confront the matter as repatriation of foreign fighters," he added.

A Turkish source close to the government told Xinhua under the condition of anonymity that international law permits that Turkey deports IS fighters caught in Turkey to their countries of origin.

"However there is a legal imbroglio concerning militants captured in Syria, where the central government has no say," a point that Western countries have until now used in their favor, he added.

It is expected that the Turkish leader will discuss the issue of foreign IS fighters with U.S. President Donald Trump at a planned meeting in the White House on Nov. 13.

From: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/201..._138542915.htm

[shaberon]

Which Monday and which European country? They already sent a guy home to the U. S.

This has all gotten pretty quiet recently, there are even instances of joint Syrian-Russian-Turkish patrols. There were a few Terrorist bombs at Qamishshli, and Syria attacked some type of Turkish assets at al-Manakh and al-Mahmudiya villages in Tal Tamr, Hasaka, after their pharmacies and power transformers were looted. Syria, of course, took over the place, and again it is somewhat unclear if there was direct combat between the two states, but it was at least really close.

So here again if Turkey does not send in their Air Force and something big happens, they are kind of keeping a lid on it.

This situation can't possibly last very long, and then the "other occupiers" at al-Tanf will probably get the next boot.

The return of "your people" to their countries of origin is pretty sure to be a legal and social thorn. Unlike our "prison industry" here, most smaller countries are not in favor of large incarcerated populations, or highly interested in investing in a problem that was "solved".

[Cara]

Posted by shaberon (here)
Which Monday and which European country?

Yes, it’s certainly the case that Turkey has been dangling this threat over Europe for some years now. I wonder what they do with them in Turkey? Are they imprisoned? Quite a job to keep track of them all I would imagine.

~~~

And it appears that the former British intelligence agent behind the White Helmets has died in Istanbul.

[shaberon]

Posted by Cara (here)

Yes, it’s certainly the case that Turkey has been dangling this threat over Europe for some years now. I wonder what they do with them in Turkey? Are they imprisoned? Quite a job to keep track of them all I would imagine.

Well, this is more or less the "criminalized" portion of the overall large wave of displaced persons, who are just part of the whole package of immigration issues, mixed with the fact some of them are native citizens. And so I think there have been a limited number of those who were born in America who joined ISIS, versus more who are from somewhere in Europe. But more of the problem is found with transients or immigrants or people who shift states.

I guess it's no problem or concern if Turkey returned someone to Pakistan, because Pakistan doesn't count because it is just a home of militias and terrorists and so forth.

This is what's changing, right, it can't be like that in Belgium, because they have a nice country. That definition or image is no longer true because the reality is they are not a special exception and are about the same as Pakistan. This is what we are going to find with all the former colonial powers, and, I think, what Russia means by "the liberal idea in the west has failed".

Some of the Turkish prisoners were probably high value and they are traded for some kind of gain. But what do you do with a hundred British captives who are in Turkey due to fighting on the losing side in Syria. Nuremberg, etc., made the international law where we can't just shoot them. That means someone has to incarcerate them, or let them back into society. You are right, it's not really a threat but just a situation that has been ripening for years, to which everyone would presume to push Turkey around or tell it what to do, as if it would go away.

The west isn't going to run things by political/economic dictation, nor by insurgencies and death squads. It no longer works, and we will find the things we may pretend "only happen in other places" are right there in Your Neighborhood. Which is fair, since jihad in this sense is mostly of western origin and backing, they can have it back.