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Joyce Karam @Joyce_Karam
, 3 tweets, 1 min read Read on Twitter
Middle East this a.m:

• Bolton’s visit to Turkey Implodes: Erdogan cancels mtg, no Syria agreement
• Russia starts Patrols in Manbij
• Pompeo in Egypt Ahead of speech
• Egypt to host 2019 African Cup ⚽️
• Storm “Norma” ravages Lebanon
• Griffiths to brief UNSC on Yemen
Once again on Syria , no clear direction from US. Erdogan unhappy that Bolton said US wants to protect Kurds (Trump said it before). Pompeo will try his hand in Egypt & GCC.

Photo of Dunford, Bolton and Jeffrey from meeting in Turkey today (Anadolu):
Russia patrols in Manbij Syria are a big deal. Moscow once again, using US-Turkey quarreling, uncertainty in Trump position, tension in Kurdish-US relations to its advantage in a terrain it knows well.

It has already hosted a Kurdish delegation to Moscow.
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More from @Joyce_Karam see all

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On US and Syria : Trump is pitching one message but Bolton is driving another. US officials in Syria telling Kurds one thing but US official Jeffrey in Washington is signaling another.

Pentagon has no response and State Department is trying to scramble all messages together.
Given the constant contradictions coming from inside Trump Administration, expect Pompeo & Bolton to face tough questioning on Middle East trip.

Do they speak for the President? Is US withdrawing/staying/letting Iran do whatever it wants/countering Iran or undecided?
On the ground, Russia & Assad wasting no time, using US inconsistencies to their advantage.

As @ibrahimhamidi reports, Kurdish delegation went to Moscow for mediation to reach deal w Assad. Meanwhile US officials now asking Kurds to hold back after offering no promises earlier
Read 3 tweets
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Erdogan Confirms Everything that White House Denied:

• Trump discussed Syria Withdrawal w him on 14th
• Trump asked him to take care of ISIS when US leaves Syria (Foreign country)
• Turkey appreciates gesture but is waiting, delays offensive vs Kurds thenational.ae/world/the-amer…
Essentially, Trump has delegated national security decisions to Turkish President in a country that’s neither Turkey or US.

He discussed it all w Erdogan, made decision before speaking to US military leaders on ground in Syria.

If this isn’t twisted logic, don’t know what is.
Also, Trump asking Erdogan to “take care of ISIS” is loud acknowledgement by POTUS that ISIS is not defeated in Syria.

So, why is US leaving? Why did Trump say ISIS is defeated?

Imagine if Bush or Obama asked Iran or Saudi to take care of Qaeda in Iraq & Yemen after US leaves.
Read 3 tweets
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Despite King Salman letter to Qatar Emir, rift has gotten much worse in last two months:

• Media wars at peak post Khashoggi
• Qatar now closer to Turkey
• Bahrain FM says Q burnt all ships
• OPEC withdrawal, split on Yemen, Libya, Syria

This won’t be over anytime soon.
The Trump Administration realizes the widening gap. It’s trying to at least save GCC cooperation, boost it on defense matters, counter Iran.

But reality is different. Big MESA meeting rescheduled again (3rd or 4th time) from early next year to another time...
One last point worth paying attention to. Qatar has gone on offensive in ties with Iran, withdrawing from OPEC, and on Khashoggi case.

Qatar to great extent used Khashoggi crisis to widen split between Turkey and Saudi, and not to reconcile its own w Riyadh.

This will continue
Read 3 tweets

Related threads

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1) Offsets are not the only problem in the sale of American Patriot missiles to Turkey nordicmonitor.com/2019/01/off-se…
2) The major stumbling block between Turkey and the US on the finalization of the sale of $3.5 billion worth of Patriot missiles, whose purchase awaits approval by the US Congress, has always been the issue of offsets. But that is not the only problem in the proposed sale.
3) Judging from the wording in the notification @StateDept sent to Congress on Dec. 18, 2018, this issue remains undecided. “The purchaser requested offsets. At this time offset agreements are undetermined and will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and contractors"
Read 31 tweets
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1) @nordicmonitor reveals the full text of implementation deal for military agreement between #Turkey & #Qatar that allowed Turkey to set up a base in Doha. The agreement is full of loopholes and vague terms that appear to have been deliberately inserted. nordicmonitor.com/2019/01/turkey…
2) The bilateral agreement would allow Turkish President Recep Tayyip #Erdogan to use Turkish air, land and naval assets to promote his own ideological and personal interests in the Gulf and beyond by using the hard power of the NATO military alliance’s second largest army.
3) The agreement carries huge risks of escalation of Turkey’s involvement in conflicts that may have nothing to do with protecting or promoting Turkey’s national interests. The vagueness in the deal were deliberate & systematic to allow Erdogan to use them as he sees fit.
Read 16 tweets
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KEEP
EYES
OPEN
FOR
THE
COUNTER
BETWEEN
NOW &
CHRISTMAS
#Syria
@BenKTallmadge @SpiceOfOurLife @CarrollQuigley1 @TheLastRefuge2
2) I want this more than anything.
zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-1…
3) What are watching for between now and Christmas?

The playbook.
Read 36 tweets
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I was eagerly waiting for this comment, @O_Rich_ #Syria #Iran #Russia #israel
.@O_Rich_ made the right reading of @ejmalrai 's article. Some might see conspiracies by Russia, but this is the right reading.
#Russia's most important achievement in #Syria is that it safeguarded the structure of the state and its institutions. And it is through this structure, and through these institutions that the state can reclaim the rest of #Syria. @O_Rich_ @ejmalrai
Read 7 tweets
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Humanitarian Wars for democracy and freedom are false and lying - 13

The so-called "moderate rebels"

#Syria #WarCrimes #FakeNews #lies #terrorism #aggression #Hypocrisy #FalseFlag #bastards #IillegalWar #Criminals #CriminalDamage #DoubleStandard #ModerateRebels
1.
 What was the UN created for?
What was the United Nations charter created for?
What were human rights associations created for?
What was the International Criminal Court created for?

Enough of double standars and hypocrisy. Enough is enough.
2.
 If wars can be started by lies, they can be stopped by truth.”
- Julian Assange -
Read 253 tweets
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Every time you oppose Assad, you're supporting monstrous terrorists

And, yes, to dominate the Middle East, the US and its allies are arming/funding the most vile psychopaths

"Moderate rebels" is a marketing term

#Syria #Iran #Russia #Qanon
In a recent poll, 58% of Americans support the bombing of Syria and 19% have “no opinion.” This is wonderful news, since it shows how the vast majority of people are easily manipulated and are simply apathetic.

nationofchange.org/2018/05/01/syr…
The myth of "moderate rebels" in Syria was created to hide Al Qaeda and ISIS

worldaffairs.blog/2017/05/07/no-…
Read 7 tweets

Trending hashtags

#Erdogan #Astana #Turkey #Benghazi #Iraq #Lebanon #Bosra #Syria #TOW #NewWorldNextWeek #NATO #Jordan #IsraelCrimes #SyrianArmy #Douma #Kurds #Nawa #US #FridayMotivation #Hypocrisy #ABD #SDF #Iran #IS #Putin

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