SecDef Mattis referred to the Kurds in our 'allies and relationships' and that they risked being slaughtered by the Syrian government if we leave. The Kurds have more to fear from Turkey than they do Syrian government forces. Turkey sees the YPG and PKK as terrorist organizations
In February 2018, the Assad government gave some measure of aid to Syrian Kurds against Turkey in the northwest region of the country in Afrin. The government allowed the Kurds to move men, weapons, and equipment through government controlled areas to reinforce.
Turkey, our NATO ally whom we obviously have a partnership and alliance sees the Kurds in Afrin as a threat to its border. reuters.com/article/us-mid…
People act shocked about Trump's announcement to pull troops out of Syria, but he's been saying it repeatedly. In August the Syrian Kurds sent two delegations to meet with the Assad regime. theatlantic.com/international/…
So, based off Mattis' observations which ally did he recommend supporting? The Syrian Kurds or NATO ally Turkey? Supporting Turkey abandons the Kurds, supporting the Kurds infuriates Turkey.
In January 2018, Turkish forces bombed the Kurdish city of Afrin killing 10 Kurds. Erdogan did this despite this group being allied with the US. theguardian.com/world/2018/jan…
In October 2018, Turkish forces again bombed Kurdish forces, this time east of the Euphrates targeting the Zor Magar area west of the Ayn Al Arab region. gulfnews.com/world/mena/tur…
The relationship between the Kurds, Turkey, and Syria is a very complex issue. If you do something that pleases one you irritate the other two. Turkey wants Assad gone because it wants to expand its own influence in the region. So does Saudi Arabia. The Kurds just want a homeland
In order for Mattis' 'respect' allies and partnerships, he'd have to come up with a way to get the Turks to stop targeting the Kurds and get the Kurds to stop targeting parts of Turkey. Nobody has done that in entire time of Syria or Iraq's existence.
Syria is not going to slice off its northern territory to the Kurds no easier than Iraq will do the same with the Kurds in northern Iraq. If it were that easy, it would have already been done.
Trying to force that issue is not going to be an easy one unless Mattis wanted 100K troops there to enforce compliance between the Turks, Kurds, and Syrian government. We weren't able to solve the Kurdish issue in Iraq, so how was Mattis intending to solve it in Syria?
