Reuters: Civilians flee Syrian border towns as Turkish warplanes, artillery kick off offensive
AKCAKALE, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey attacked Kurdish militia positions in northeast Syria on Wednesday, pounding them with air strikes and artillery barrages in a cross-border military operation just days after U.S. troops pulled back from the area.
Thousands of people fled the Syrian town of Ras al Ain toward Hasaka province, held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The Turkish air strikes had killed two civilians and wounded two others, the SDF said.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, announcing the start of the action, said the aim was to eliminate what he called a “terror corridor” on Turkey’s southern border.
But U.S. President Donald Trump, who ordered the U.S. pullout last week in an abrupt policy shift, said the offensive was “a bad idea” and he did not endorse it. He expected Turkey to protect civilians and religious minorities and to prevent a humanitarian crisis, he said.
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More News On Turkey Beginning Their Offensive Against Syria's Kurds
Turkey begins military offensive in Syria: Live Updates -- CNN
Turkey-Syria border: All the latest updates -- Al Jazeera
Turkey launches offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syria -- AP
Turkey launches offensive in northern Syria with air strikes -- BBC
Turkey launches military operations against Kurds in northern Syria -- France 24
Erdoğan announces start of Turkish offensive in northern Syria -- The Hill
Turkey launches military operation in northeast Syria -- Al Jazeera
Turkey launches military operation in northern Syria -- The Guardian
Turkish military launches attack on Kurdish positions in Syria -- ABC News Online
Turkey launches air strikes against Kurds as ground forces assemble on Syrian border -- UPI
Video Shows Alleged Turkish Airstrike on Kurdish Support Convoy on Iraq-Syria Border -- Sputnik
Turkish military, rebels to cross Syrian border 'shortly' -- Al Jazeera
Tens of thousands of Syrian fighters mobilised by Turkey -- AFP
Syrian Kurds call civilians to front lines as Turkey poised for attack -- France 24
Kurds issue 'general mobilization' call ahead of anticipated Turkish strike -- The Hill
Kurds mobilise in Syria as Turkey poised for imminent attack -- Al Jazeera
FRANCE 24 SPECIAL: Syrian Kurds fear the worst as Turkey launches offensive -- France 24
'People are panicking but life goes on': Syrian Kurds brace for war -- The Guardian
Erdoğan's Syrian incursion could be his biggest gamble yet -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian
1 comment:
The law is whatever people want it to be. The law is not based on Boolean logic to any extent at all it seems. Certain wretches find penumbras and emanations whenever the fuck they want. They could not program an AI with Boolean logic and a set of assumption (givens) and get the results that they claim.
The Wilsonian principles to draw border in Central and Easter Europe were not used to draw borders in the Middle East. Do the principles have an expiration date? If they do, then they are not principles or we lack honesty or will.
When Does the Legal Basis for U.S. Forces in Syria Expire?
A Return to American Restraint Begins in Syria
"U.S. troops remain in Syria—with diminishing strategic returns and obsolete legal justification—long after fulfilling their original mandate to destroy the territorial caliphate of the Islamic State."
https://www.justsecurity.org/53810/legal-basis-u-s-forces-syria-expire/
https://tcf.org/content/report/return-american-restraint-begins-syria/?agreed=1
I believe we have a right and a moral obligation to be in Syria to help the Kurds, if nothing else. Where is Samantha Power now? She espoused R2P based on what happened to Rwanda and the Balkans. Obama attacked Libya based on her R2P argument. Either that or poll numbers and Obama being badgered by the Italian and French PM's were the cause.
Where was Samantha Power when ISIS was overrunning Kobane? ISIS took over 50% before Mr. Flexible tasked 2% of the air force to help out.
Foreign affairs is a bit like grading math. If given a problem, you must show how you got the correct answer to get credit. Otherwise, you get zero points.
Foreign Affairs is like a debate team face off. You can back the right principles, but unless you debate well enough, you lose the contest.
More than a few leftists backing Democrat pols have been on high school or college debate teams. They love tearing it up. It does not help people like the Kurds, soldiers, or taxpayers. But these debaters can pat themselves on the back and congratulate themselves on how brilliant and connected they are.
If you sample comment threads they are full of trolls and liberals smug about the US having no business in Syria. Now, most of them will be smug about being for staying in Syria.
The Left has built no case for staying in Syria. They have built the opposite case. They have made life intolerable. And one day they shall pay. It might be as simple as a cold shoulder, no helping change a tire, not calling 911 if you see something, no charity or something else. But those little fuckers will pay.
I think Trump is making a mistake, but I look forward to voting for him in 2020. Trump could not win politically in Syria, The Left has him coming and they have him going. Whatever the opponents of the Left are doing is wrong in the Left's eyes.
Trump is building the Wall and Trump is taking on the Chinese while the NBA and other are looking for their kneepads and lube.
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