Moscow reaches out to new Syrian leadership in move to secure bases
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/ ... cure-bases
Iran in direct contact with groups in new Syrian leadership, Iranian official says
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2582354/middle-east
Προέλλην έγραψε:Πάρτε εδώ τον υπουργό δικαιοσύνης (ο χοντρός δίπλα του είναι ο πρώην ασσαντικός):
Άντε να δούμε που θα βγάλει όλο αυτό
US patience with Turkey tested again over Syria, attacks on Kurdish partners
Shortly after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the US military conducted one of its largest attacks on ISIS in years. Part of the reason for the timing and ability to strike over 75 ISIS targets with B-52 bombers, F-15s and A-10s was because Russia’s military – invited to Syria to prop up the now-deposed Bashar al-Assad - was sent packing. Israel and Turkey, both with strategic interests in Syria, also took swift military action.
Israel bombed large swathes of the country, including weapons manufacturing sites, Syrian jets and naval assets, and chemical weapons sites. The US did not object to Israel’s operations nor its takeover of a security buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights.
However, Turkey’s attacks on Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters in Manbij and northern Syria quickly raised concerns in Washington, particularly at the Pentagon. Earlier this week, officials said the SDF accidentally shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone after mistaking it for a Turkish drone.
“We will see how this plays out over the next 48 hours. But we’re not going to tolerate this again,” a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, told Al Arabiya English, referring to Turkish attacks on the SDF.
The US and Turkey have had prior disputes over the targeting of SDF fighters. In December 2022, CIA Director Bill Burns reportedly warned his Turkish counterpart that Ankara’s airstrikes in Syria were endangering US forces. In October 2023, an American F-16 shot down a Turkish drone that had entered a US-restricted zone less than half a kilometer from US troops. The US has repeatedly warned Turkey about the risks of flying drones near US personnel.
The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is designated by the US as a terrorist group, but the US-backed SDF is not. Ankara has been irked by Washington’s continued support for the SDF, which has been a critical ally in the fight against ISIS. With around 900 American troops stationed in Syria, US and SDF forces have partnered over the years to carry out joint raids against ISIS targets and militants.
The US views this partnership with the SDF as vital. This was underscored when Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top US general for the Middle East, visited several bases in Syria on Tuesday to meet with US troops and SDF members. He later traveled to Iraq, emphasizing the US’s commitment to defeating ISIS and securing its partners in the region, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel.
After the Dec. 8 strikes on ISIS targets, Kurilla said “there should be no doubt” that the US would not allow ISIS to take advantage of the situation in Syria. “All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way,” he said.
The recent attacks on SDF positions inside Syria are now worrying US officials again.
In response, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Ankara this week for talks on Syria. Officials familiar with his travel plans told Al Arabiya English the main focus of his discussions will be a potential deal between Turkey and the SDF.
Late Tuesday, the SDF said it had reached a ceasefire deal brokered by the US with fighters backed by Turkey in Manbij.
Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin spoke separately to their Turkish counterparts on Monday. Both US officials stressed the need to continue the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS) mission in Syria, an indirect way of saying Turkey should ensure that their military operations do not threaten US troops or their mission.
Austin acknowledged Turkey’s “legitimate security concerns” while also stressing the need to “avoid any risk to US forces and partners, and the Defeat-ISIS Mission.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown spoke with his Turkish counterpart on Tuesday about the evolving security situation in Syria and US commitment to defense cooperation with Ankara. “Both leaders agreed on the necessity of communication and partner cooperation to ensure a peaceful transition in Syria,” according to a readout of the call. “Turkey is a key NATO ally, and the US values its strategic bilateral relationship,” Joint Staff Spokesman Jereal Dorsey said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/midd ... cks-on-sdf
US rushes to contain Turkey-backed offensive against SDF in Syria
The US government is scrambling to address a Turkish-backed offensive targeting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Turkish officials have announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Ankara on Friday.
A statement from the State Department indicated that Blinken will discuss the importance of ensuring that the transition process and the formation of a new government in Syria respect the rights of minorities and prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism.
Washington was caught off guard by the rapid overthrow of Assad by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-aligned forces, which occurred in just 11 days. Reports suggest that US officials had been attempting to negotiate a deal with Assad that would have normalised his position in exchange for severing ties with Hezbollah and Iran.
The US has expressed concern over Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) operations targeting the SDF, a US partner force.
Buffer zone
These operations have resulted in the seizure of areas including Tal Rifaat and Manbij, which had been under SDF control earlier this month. By securing Tal Rifaat and Manbij, Turkey has solidified its control over key areas west of the Euphrates, creating a buffer zone along its borders.
Following the capture of Manbij, the SNA crossed the Euphrates River and seized the Tomb of Suleyman Shah, a site of significant historical and cultural importance linked to the Ottoman Empire. The move trigerred an outrcy from the SDF, raising concerns that the front would move towards the heavily populated city of Kobane.
Turkey has long regarded the SDF as an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), despite its rebranding and its partnership with the US in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).
A Turkish official told Middle East Eye that Blinken was probably coming to ensure that the SNA wouldn't progress towards Kobane or Ayn al Arab, as known in Arabic.
“Turkey will maintain military pressure because some officials in the US are facilitating talks between the SDF and Israel in a last-minute attempt to secure the group's future,” a person familiar with the issue told MEE.
Raised eyebrows
Israeli public broadcaster Kann last week revealed that the first official talks between Tel Aviv and the SDF leadership took place earlier this month. This development has raised eyebrows, as senior Israeli officials have begun adopting rhetoric supportive of the Syrian Kurdish group.
Meanwhile, US Central Command (Centcom) Commander General Michael Kurilla visited northeastern Syria on Tuesday, reiterating US support for the SDF as an anti-IS partner force.
Murat Yesiltas, a senior expert at the Ankara-based think tank Seta, argues that Ankara aims to strengthen its position during Donald Trump’s term by undermining the SDF as much as possible.
Trump had repeatedly voiced his intention to withdraw US forces from Syria during his first term, but pressure from the Pentagon and a US media campaign limited his efforts, resulting in only a partial pullback in 2019.
Yesiltas told MEE he does not believe Ankara will escalate the situation by launching a major operation in areas such as Kobane or Qamishli, which are heavily populated with civilians.
“However, there is a sense that the Americans are seeking a grand bargain to resolve the SDF issue,” Yesiltas said. “But Blinken and others only have one month left in office, so any deal must be negotiated with the incoming Trump administration. The new Syria increasingly appears united, and autonomy for a few million people in the country seems unlikely.”
A separate source familiar with the situation noted that the threat posed by SDF-controlled areas is higher than ever, despite the loss of Manbij and Tal Rifaat.
“The Syrian regime previously maintained a civil and military presence in areas like Hasakah and Qamishli, but they are no longer there. This absence provides the SDF with an opportunity to resemble a state more than ever before,” the source said.
Recent footage from last week shows that many residents in predominantly Arab areas such as Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor are growing intolerant of SDF rule, particularly now that the threat of Assad’s return has diminished.
Internal strife
Many in Ankara anticipate that the SDF will continue to face internal strife in Arab-majority areas.
Yesiltas also highlighted immediate issues that Turkey wants to discuss with Blinken, including the transition process in Damascus.
“Turkey could play a key role in assisting the international community with the removal of Syria’s remaining chemical weapons,” Yesiltas added. “Although Israel has reportedly targeted some research facilities and sites, these types of attacks alone are not sufficient to fully eliminate them.”
The State Department confirmed that Blinken will also address efforts to ensure that Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and safely destroyed.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-r ... -sdf-syria
US secretary of state says he is "not confident" rebel group HTS will protect minorities in Syria
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he is “not confident” that Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), will keep his word about protecting minorities in Syria.
“I’m encouraged by the fact that they’ve said the right thing, but what we have to focus on is whether they do the right thing, including protecting minorities,” Blinken said at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Blinken was responding to a question by GOP Rep. Keith Self, who asked specifically if the top US diplomat was confident HTS would protect Christians and Muslim women in Syria.
A State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that the US would judge HTS and Jolani “not by those words but by their actions over the coming days, the coming weeks, the coming months.”
Self also asked Blinken if he expected Syria would “descend into a terrorist enclave,” to which Blinken answered that the US needs “to do everything possible to avoid that” in the coming days and weeks.
Blinken left the hearing to embark on a trip to Jordan and Turkey to coordinate on Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship.
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news ... index.html
Russia is close to reaching an agreement with the new Syrian leadership to keep two bases in the country, two sources tell Bloomberg
Russian Foreign Ministry: Relations between Moscow and Ankara have not deteriorated due to the Syrian crisis
Ceasefire agreement between the Turkish led SNA and SDF in Manbij and Tishreen dam 1. SDF (MMC) will withdraw safely from Manbij 2. Tishreen dam will be a demilitarised zone and civil servants will run the administration of the dam. 3. Truce starting at 17:00 local time