Turkey Denies Use of Chemical Weapons Against Kurdish Militants via @defensepost thedefensepost.com/2022/10/21/tur… International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), a non-partisan federation of medical groups in over 60 countries, sent a mission to northern Iraq in late September.

"Yes, we do assess that Iranians have been on the ground in Ukraine to assist Russia with the drone operations there." - Pentagon Press Secretary
defense.gov/News/Transcrip… "But again, it's just indicative of the kinds of rhetoric that you hear coming from Iran, and from Russia, trying to say that these are not Iranian drones when they clearly are." - Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder

Iran’s long-oppressed Kurdish population has been at the forefront of the month-long anti-government uprising. Now it is bearing the brunt of the government’s intensifying efforts to crush the unrest
washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/… Djene Rhys Bajalan, a professor at Missouri State University who specializes in Kurdish history. “The road to tyranny goes through Kurdistan.”

“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards forces’ attacks on residential areas in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is part of a long history of lethal attacks on civilians, including during the war in Syria,” said Adam Coogle
hrw.org/news/2022/10/1… @hrw Kanaani was 36 weeks pregnant with their son, whom they named Waniar, her husband said. Following the attack doctors delivered the baby then operated on Kanaani, who suffered injuries to the back of her head and internal bleeding. She died from her injuries - HRW

"We strongly oppose any Turkish operation into northern Syria. and have made clear our objections to Turkey, specifically because ISIS is going to take advantage of that campaign." - Dana Stroul, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) at @MiddleEastInst event. "There is no question that ISIS seeks to replicate this attack (Hasakah prison) again on other facilities & to recruit from & terrorize the vulnerable population as a whole. Again this is a reason why we are so concerned about the potential for Turkish operations in N Syria."

.@ElhamAhmadSDC at @NewlinesInst event says Turkey is trying to get green light from Iran, Russia and US for its operation. .@ElhamAhmadSDC says Turkey is claiming this operation is project of safe zone and is a humanitarian project. But Ahmad says Turkey is trying to settle Syrian refugees in homes of indigenous people.

An unidentified drone strike killed one or two militants in Afrin kurdistan24.net/kmr/story/5927… An ID card identified one of the persons as Khalid Subaih. Most likely he was member of Ahrar al-Sharqiya.

"Unilateral decisions won't help any side; we prefer negotiation and dialogue to solve our outstanding issue," KRG spokesman Jotiar Adil told S&P Global Commodity Insights. spglobal.com/commodityinsig… (1) "Any decision should be according to the Iraqi constitution. We are always ready to negotiate and solve outstanding issues through dialogue."

Turkish President Erdogan threatens another operation in northeast Syria to establish 30-km safe zone. It comes amidst upcoming Turkish elections in 2023 and Turkish objections to Swedish & Finnish NATO membership. Recently elections debates and tensions are increasing in Turkey.

Speech by EU EOM Chief Observer Viola von Cramon @EUEOMIraq2021 says the case of three journalists in the Kurdistan Region "recently sentenced to six year jail terms negatively impacted the campaign" #Iraqelection2021 facebook.com/eueomiraq2021/… Speech by EU EOM Chief Observer Viola von Cramon
@EUEOMIraq2021 also commended Iraqi people for peaceful election, but underlined post-election period should remain peaceful also and complaints about elections to be raised through legal means.

Parties rejecting election results so far:
Ezidi Freedom and Democracy Party in Sinjar (linked to YBS/PKK)
Shia Coordination framework/PMF-linked parties
PUK
#Iraqelection2021 (1) Sources:
"PADÊ applied to Nineveh Election Commission regarding the Iraqi Parliamentary elections and demanded that voting be cancelled in Shengal."
anfenglishmobile.com/kurdistan/padE… (2)

The turnout across Iraq for the public vote has reached 19 percent, according to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).
rudaw.net/english/middle… (Rudaw) Seems Sunni Arab majority provinces like Nineveh (25%), Saladin (27%) attained the highest turnout rate among the Iraqi governorates. Also Diyala (26%). - Shafaq

General Command of People’s Defense Units:

"Our forces have not attacked security forces of KRI & we once again declare that we respect
the autonomy of Kurdistan Region of Iraq." (1) YPG Command: "In recent years, there has been ongoing efforts of coordination between Autonomous
Administration (AANES) and the Kurdistan Region. These continuous efforts were as part of the joint fight against ISIS and to ensure peace and security in the region." (2)

.@nadinemaenza now giving presentation on Turkish attacks on AANES/NES at @indefchristians

Live on Facebook: fb.watch/2pZNHJdO58/ .@nadinemaenza says a lot of people make the mistake that NES is a majority-Kurdish area, but she says its Arab majority area, and majority of SDF forces are Arabic. But its really a multi-ethnic, multi-religious area.

Kurdish National Unity Parties (PYNK) call on especially the Kurdistan Region Parliament, "to do their national duty against the civil war."
hawarnews.com/en/haber/pynk-… Hajj Issa (PYNK) pointed out that just as they view the Peshmerga as a national force, and every drop of their blood is precious, so is each one of guerrilla's. He also said any success (progress) of Kurds in any part of Kurdistan is seen as success for all Kurds.

Assyrian politician (ADO): "Although being part of the larger (opposition) Coalition, we have clearly opposed Turkey’s entry into Afrin, Ras-ul Ayn, and Tel Abyad, just to mention few issues." joshualandis.com/blog/the-polit… (1) "We can’t say that the security situation has improved with Turkey’s entry into Syria. The Assyrians and Armenians living in towns and villages along a 120 km border, from Tel Abyad to Rish Ayno (Ras-el Ain), had to migrate." (2)

Commanding General (@CJTFOIR) Lieutenant General Pat White says in an update on ISIS that the SDF has captured ISIS operatives including emirs in recent operations and have disrupted smuggling networks. Commanding General (@CJTFOIR) Lieutenant General Pat White says NATO may plays a more important role in training of Iraqi security forces.

Important point in this new report: "Administration to develop an imposing bureaucratic apparatus with more than 250,000 employees, including 70,000 soldiers, 30,000 police and 150,000 civil servants." (1) "Among the latter, 40,000 are teachers receiving a monthly salary of 120-200 US dollars, double the amount paid in the territory controlled by the regime." (2)

My latest: The Future of Northeastern Syria: In Conversation with SDF Commander-in-Chief @MazloumAbdi washingtoninstitute.org/fikraforum/vie… (1) @MazloumAbdi General Mazloum noted that although there is still a risk Turkey could attack either Jazira (Hassakah province) or Kobani, such a scenario would not be easy for Turkey (2).

Amb Jeffrey claims they had written commitments from Turkey that they would not do ethnic cleansing & says that since 20% of Turkish population is Kurdish and serve in army, they would not do ethnic cleansing.

Did he not see what happened in Afrin? Is he blind? Noted Syria expert @Charles_Lister also confirmed this in Dutch parliament last year.

He stated that Sultan Murad "have been accused of criminalities in areas like Afrin. They have been involved in what many people have described as ethnic cleansing"

KRG PM @masrour_barzani affirmed that “wars and demographic change will not bring security, peace and stability” to the region and called for “a peaceful and just solution that guarantees the rights of all parties.” (1) @masrour_barzani Kurdistan Region President, @IKRPresident, also expressed his worries for the people in areas affected by the Turkish campaign

President Nechirvan Barzani noted that the participation of “extremist groups” in the Turkish operation was cause for heightened concern (2)