Thread by @TimInHonolulu

1. The end of the Syrian conflict will never come as long as Turkey is in Syria. The evidence is overwhelming that Turkey’s MIT intelligence service has been active in advancing both ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Syria. The ostensible purpose is to advance the Turkish dictator’s

2. goal of reestablishing the Ottoman Empire with him at the head. The real goal, in my opinion, is to seize Syria’s oil.

3. The SDF continues to provide security but the governance of the liberated areas of Syria have become part of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES). This is an anti-authoritarian civil governance organ based on the accepted Geneva goals of secular

4. Democratic Syria. The Kurds have worked to incorporate the Sunni Arab tribes in self-governance.

Nothing makes political governance more popular than success. ISIS and now Al-Qaeda infiltrators from Turkish held areas continue to present a security threat but with US

5. assistance the NES is a generally stable and thriving region and a model for the region.

As the result of ill-advised policies of the Obama administration that armed poorly vetted Islamist organizations and permitted if not encouraged the movement of foreign

6. Jihadist forces into Syria, those forces are now concentrated in Idlib and Afrin.

They present a continuing threat to the Syrian people and regional stability and with the presence of ISIS and Al-Qaeda a clear and present danger to the West and, in particular, the US.

7. The Sunni majority will never willingly accept Bashir Al Assad as a ruler. Too much blood has been spilled. And under the Geneva Communique, Assad has to win a fair and free election, something he can never do.

The Iranians continue to support him and the Syrian Alawai

8. minority under the claim it is a religious duty, but in reality the counter-revolutionary IRGC are engaged in imperialist conquest contrary to the goals of Ayatollah Khomeini and must be stopped.

To finally end the war in Syria the US needs to force Turkey to abandon any

9. control of Northern Syria. If Turkey won’t withdraw the US should provide logistics and air cover for the SDF to retake Al Bab, Jarabulus, Marea, Azaz and Afrin likely in that order.

Once the Jihadist threat is removed from the north and a full contiguous NES administration

10. is established in all of Northern Syria, the SDF can address Idlib if they are willing to play that role.

The US has survived as a democracy in part because we accept religious freedom. One fact is certain: The Sunni will never live under a minority Shia dictatorship.

11. The SDF are founded upon anti-authoritarian principals. They believe in local self-rule.

They demand women be treated equally and with the respect and personal autonomy. They do not dictate religious beliefs beyond simple respect for basic human rights and the end of

12. child brides.

Idlib can become a free and autonomous area protected by the SDF under the US air umbrella and engage in self-governance but the Jihad must end. Forces that wish to be armed must come under the command of an expanded SDF force command.

13. The next step will be to take a national census and prepare for the new federal Constitution and elections that will provide local autonomy by federal political units that take into consideration ethnic and religious regional realities with finally the formation of a

14. national Syrian government to provide state level governance and a return to a role as a sovereign state not under sanctions.

In time Turkey may return to a constructive role in Syria. But for now it is a clear and present danger to peace and stability.

15. Turkey under the dictator must go. If and when Turkey returns to democracy it should be welcomed to participate in the democracy that the Syrians deserve and that they will achieve free of the maligned influence of the Turkish state.