Sourced : Sputnik Despite Ankara assuring the Syrian government that its operation in Afrin aims to protect exclusively the Turkish security, Damascus has firmly condemned the military campaign as an assault on the country’s sovereignty. The co-chairman of Afrin Canton, which was unilaterally proclaimed by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in northern Syria, Hevi… Continue reading AFRIN CANTON CO-CHAIR : “WE CALLED ON SYRIAN ARMY TO PROTECT US”
Category: Conflict
THE U.S ALLIANCE WITH TURKEY JUST LUNGED TOWARD THE BREAKING POINT
Sourced : The Washington Post By David Ignatius Talking with Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of American troops in the Middle East, is a paradoxical reminder of the limits of U.S. military power to determine political outcomes. American bombs helped destroy the Islamic State in Syria, but they can’t stitch the rag doll of the… Continue reading THE U.S ALLIANCE WITH TURKEY JUST LUNGED TOWARD THE BREAKING POINT
TURKEY’S ACTION IN SYRIA THREATENS FRAGILE ALLIANCE
Sourced : FT By David Gardner Turkey’s attack on the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in north-western Syria is at one level an assault by a NATO member on a prized US ally. The Syrian Kurdish militia the People’s Protection Forces (YPG) spearheaded the fight back against Isis and its cross-border caliphate from 2014. It is… Continue reading TURKEY’S ACTION IN SYRIA THREATENS FRAGILE ALLIANCE
MORE RUSSIAN S-400 ARRIVE IN SYRIA AHEAD OF EXPECTED EXPANSION OF BASES
Sourced : Almasdar News Russia has sent additional strategic air defense systems of the most modern designs in its arsenal to Syria ahead of the expected expansion of its permanent bases in the country. On Tuesday, Russian-linked media released footage of the arrival of additional S-400 strategic surface-to-air missile systems via sea-lifters to the Syrian… Continue reading MORE RUSSIAN S-400 ARRIVE IN SYRIA AHEAD OF EXPECTED EXPANSION OF BASES
AS U.S LOOKS TO REIN IN TURKISH OFFENSIVE, MANBIJ IS KEY
Sourced : Reuters By Arshad Mohammed, Idrees Ali The key U.S. question about Turkey’s offensive in northwestern Syria is whether Ankara pushes on from Afrin to Manbij, where U.S. forces and their allies against the Islamic State militant group are on the ground, U.S. officials said on Monday. Turkey shelled targets in northwest Syria on… Continue reading AS U.S LOOKS TO REIN IN TURKISH OFFENSIVE, MANBIJ IS KEY
TURKEY LAUNCHES “OLIVE BRANCH OPERATION” AGAINST “PKK THREAT IN SYRIA”
Sourced : Hurriyet Daily News The Turkish military has launched a crossborder land operation into the Syrian province of Afrin to fight the Syrian Kurdish militia the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a group Ankara has deemed a “terror group” for its links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The operation, which has been dubbed… Continue reading TURKEY LAUNCHES “OLIVE BRANCH OPERATION” AGAINST “PKK THREAT IN SYRIA”
COUNTERING THE HYBRID WAR – THE FINNISH WAY
Sourced : Medium.com By Petri Mäkelä Unidentified troops have taken over several government buildings, an harbor and airports across Finland. Finnish army has alerted it’s available conscripts, mobilized the reserve local battalions and sent them to support police and border guard units engaging the hostile forces. The local authorities have began transitioning into a crisis… Continue reading COUNTERING THE HYBRID WAR – THE FINNISH WAY
ANKARA MIGHT BE AWAITING RUSSIAN APPROVAL FOR AFRIN OPERATION
Sourced : Al Monitor By Metin Gurcan In daily hard-line statements this week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been reiterating Turkey’s determination to launch a cross-border operation against Syria’s Afrin canton, which is controlled by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). His Jan. 13 statement was particularly blunt: “Don’t ever doubt it. One night we… Continue reading ANKARA MIGHT BE AWAITING RUSSIAN APPROVAL FOR AFRIN OPERATION
SYRIAN REBELS VISIT WASHINGTON TO REQUEST RESUMPTION OF CIA ASSISTANCE
Sourced : Intel News.org By Joseph Fitsanakis A delegation of Syrian rebels is currently in Washington to ask that that United States President Donald Trump authorizes the Central Intelligence Agency to resume giving them military assistance. In 2013, the then-US President Barack Obama instructed the CIA to provide covert support to fighters in Syria. The… Continue reading SYRIAN REBELS VISIT WASHINGTON TO REQUEST RESUMPTION OF CIA ASSISTANCE
CHINA’S MILITARY BASE IN AFGHANISTAN
Sourced : The Diplomat By Kemel Toktomushev Beijing has long refrained from engaging militarily beyond its borders. However, as some recent reports suggest, this situation may soon change. Ferghana News reported that China will build a military base in the northern province of Afghanistan, and, according to the news agency, the Ministry of Defense of… Continue reading CHINA’S MILITARY BASE IN AFGHANISTAN