Thursday, March 2, 2017

U.S. Backed Syrian-Kurdish Rebels To Hand Over Captured Towns To The Syrian Army To Blunt Turkish Threats

The road to Manbij city from the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria. (March 1, 2017)

Bloomberg: Turkey Asks U.S. to Force Kurd Fighters to Quit Syrian Town

* Foreign Minister Cavusoglu says Manbij next after Al Bab win
* Minister says Syrian Kurdish militants should leave Manbij now

Turkey vowed to capture a Syrian town if the U.S. doesn’t clear out the Kurdish fighters who control it, signaling its patience has worn thin over Washington’s backing of the militia -- a partner in the campaign against Islamic State.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara that the town of Manbij was the next target for Turkish troops and their rebel allies in Syria once they take full control of the border town of Al-Bab from Islamic State militants. The strategy aligns with Ankara’s objectives when it sent its army into Syria in August: to quash the radical Sunni group -- and to keep Syrian Kurdish forces from linking up with Kurdish PKK separatists in Turkey.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is probably the strategy that is now being implemented .... Syrian state to be buffer between Manbij and Turkish forces (RUDAW)

More News On Reports That U.S. Backed Syrian-Kurdish Rebels Will Hand Over Captured Towns To The Syrian Army Thereby Blunting Turkish Threats

Turkey, U.S. on collision course over Kurdish role in battle for Syria's Raqqa -- Reuters
Turkey warns the YPG to leave Syria's Manbij -- TRT
Turkey to hit Syrian Kurd militia ‘unless leaves Manbij’ -- AFP
Syria conflict: Manbij militia to hand villages to army -- BBC
U.S.-allied militia agrees to hand villages to Syrian govt -- Reuters
YPG Kurds collaborate with Syria regime over Manbij -- Middle East Monitor

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