Erdogan says Turkey to launch 'air and ground' operation in Syria

[Falcon29]

Deep state in action:

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Turkish army MLRS in action:

 

[Falcon29]

Turkish Defense Ministry: The Army struck 181 targets for the YPG since beginning of the operation

 

[Lieutenant]

Let's stick to the topic @Falcon29

 

[Lieutenant]

So what is the current status now along the borders?

 

[Khafee]

So what is the current status now along the borders?

Live Updates Turkey launches military offensive in Syria

Turkey military offensive in Syria: Live updates

Turkey's military has begun an operation in northern Syria to clear US-backed Kurdish forces away from its border. Get the latest updates here.

edition.cnn.com

What we know now

• What's happening: Turkey's military launched an offensive in northeast Syria today to push US-backed Kurdish forces away from its border.
• Why now? It comes days after President Trump announced that US troops would pull back from the area, prompting a storm of criticism. Trump today called the Turkish offensive "a bad idea."
• US-backed Kurds out on a limb: Trump's decision clears the way for Turkey to attack Kurdish forces — the SDF — who were a key US ally in the war against ISIS. The SDF says they will suspend their anti-ISIS operations to deal with Turkey's offensive.
• Who controls what in Syria: See the map below to get a sense of which factions control which parts of Syria at the moment.

 

[Khafee]

Trump agrees sanctions are needed, but only if Turkey doesn’t act in a "humane" way
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
11 min ago

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

President Trump responded to discussions of bipartisan legislation on sanctions against Turkey, sponsored in part by his ally Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Trump said he agreed that sanctions are needed, but only if Turkey doesn’t act in a “humane” way.

“Lindsey and I feel differently,” the President said of Graham. “I think Lindsey would like to stay there for the next 200 years and maybe add a couple a hundred thousand people every place. But I disagree with Lindsey on that. But I will tell you that, I do agree on sanctions.”

Trump said he would be “much tougher than sanctions,” if Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “doesn’t do it in as humane a way as possible.”

Trump didn’t explain what he would consider “humane" and added that he’s gotten Erdogan “to stop” moving into Syria “from virtually the first day” the President was in office.

“They wanted to fight, and that’s the way it is,” Trump said, “And they’ve done it for so long.”

Some context: Earlier today, Graham called the situation "a disaster in the making" in a series of tweets and urged Trump "to change course while there is still time."

The South Carolina Republican and Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland plan to introduce bipartisan legislation to sanction Turkey's economy and military for the Syria operation.

Graham is predicting the legislation will have a veto-proof majority in the Senate, making it impossible for Trump to stop. He has been publicly scathing in his criticism of the President for the Turkey decision.

 

[Khafee]

Mike Pompeo: "The United States didn't give Turkey a green light" to launch offensive
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
43 min ago

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called claims that the US withdrawal of troops from northeastern Syria was a green light for the slaughter of the Kurds "false."

In comments made today, Pompeo also did not explicitly endorse the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as US allies.

Pompeo claims that “it became very clear” after the phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “that there were American soldiers that were going to be at risk and the President made a decision to put them in a place where they were out of harm's way.”

“The United States didn't give Turkey a green light,” Pompeo said in an interview with PBS NewsHour.
Asked whether he personally changed his thinking about "viewing the YPG as US allies,” Pompeo said, “The Turks have a legitimate security concern.”

“We've talked about that. I've talked about that repeatedly. They have a terrorist threat to their south. We've been working to make sure that we did what we could to prevent that terror threat from striking the people in Turkey while trying to achieve what is in America's best interest; the threat from radical Islamic terrorism emanating from Syria, we'll continue to do that,” Pompeo said.

Pompeo would not directly answer when repeatedly asked if the US would take responsibility for the outcome of what happens in Syria.

 

[Khafee]

Two high profile ISIS members are in US custody while concerns linger over Turkey's operation in Syria
From CNN's Evan Perez and Ryan Browne
1 min ago

The US military has taken custody of two high profile members of the British ISIS cell known as the "Beatles" as concerns loom over whether the ongoing Turkish offensive could result in ISIS prisoners escaping from undermanned prisons in Syria, according to three US officials.

One of the officials said the transfer was made today.

The second US official said there are plans to bring the two ISIS members, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, to the US for prosecution. The two have been held in northern Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for more than a year.

The State Department accused their ISIS execution cell of "holding captive and beheading approximately two dozen hostages," including James Foley, American journalist Steven Sotloff, and American aid worker Peter Kassig.

What we know about both ISIS members:

• Kotey is accused by the US State Department of having "likely engaged in the group's executions and exceptionally cruel torture" of Western journalists and aid worker hostages.
• Elsheikh "was said to have earned a reputation for water-boarding, mock executions, and crucifixions," according to the State Department.

The US effort to take custody has moved in fits and starts in recent months. Complications arose because of British legal issues that could prevent the UK from sharing evidence the US needs to prosecute the men.

Given the fast moving developments in Syria, Attorney General William Barr, in recent days, asked President Trump to make this a priority and the President signed-off.

The Washington Post first reported that the two Beatles members were transferred to US custody.

 

[Khafee]

Turkish offensive in Syria a success, will go on, leaders say
Oct. 10, 2019
By Darryl Coote

Turkish soldiers are seen Thursday with armored vehicles on their way to Northern Syria for a military operation in Kurdish areas, near the Syrian border, in Akcakale, Sanliurfa, Turkey. Photo by EPA-EFE

Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A day after it launched a military operation into northern Syria to clear the region near its border of Kurdish forces, Turkey announced Thursday that the plan has so far been a success and will continue.

Ankara, which had planned the incursion for weeks, launched the military action Wednesday.

"Operation Peace Spring was successfully carried out by air and land during the night," Turkey's Ministry of National Defense tweeted Thursday. "Operation continues successfully as planned."

The ministry said the operation was carried out "respectfully" to the territorial integrity of Syria and within the framework of international law.

"Only the [Kurdish] and [Islamic State] terrorists and their shelters, positions, weapons, tools and equipment are targeted for the planning and execution of Operation Peace Spring," the ministry said.

The Turkish military said Wednesday it had struck 181 targets in its initial attack.

Activist group Rojava Information Center said at least seven civilians, including two children, were killed and 15 were injured in night attacks.

The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, a British-based human rights monitor, said, contrary to Turkey's claim, that all advancing Turkish ground troops failed to advance and the Syrian Democratic forces and allies thwarted the attack.

Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF press office, said it had "repelled" the Turkish army and there was "no advance as of now."

The number of military casualties was not reported, but SOHR said at least 11 SDF forces and six Turkish-aligned members were killed in the fighting.

The attack came after U.S. President Donald Trump gave tacit approval to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday by removing the remaining U.S. troops from the region. The move has come under heavy bipartisan criticism, seen by many as abandoning a U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria.

Trump ally and Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, announced a bipartisan outline to impose sanctions against Turkey for the attack, calling it "unlawful" and "unwarranted."

In a tweet, Graham pleaded with Trump to change his mind.

"America is better than this," he said. "Please stand up to Turkey, Mr. President."

 

[Khafee]

Senators announce outline to sanction Turkey
Oct. 10, 2019
By Darryl Coote

Turkey launched air and land attacks against Kurdish forces in Syria on Wednesday after President Donald Trump announced the removal of troops from the region earlier in the week. Photo by EPA-EFE


Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Lindsey Graham announced an outline to impose sanctions against Turkey for attacking Kurdish forces in Syria.

On Wednesday, Turkey's military began Operation Peace Spring, launching air and land attacks against Kurdish forces in northern Syria after President Donald Trump gave the nation tacit approval Sunday when he announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region.

The move by Trump has been criticized as abandoning the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State. The SDF is headed by the Syrian branch of the Kurdish Worker's Party, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization.

"This unlawful and unwarranted attack against an American friend and partner threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions of civilians, many of whom have already fled from their homes elsewhere in Syria to find safety in this region," the senators said in a statement. "This invasion will ensure the resurgence of [IS] in Syria, embolden America's enemies including al-Qaeda, Iran and Russia, and launch yet another endless conflict in what had been, until today, one of the most safe and stable areas of Syria."

If enacted, the wide-sweeping sanctions would be immediately imposed every 90 days that Turkey is operating without U.S. support in Syria or until it withdraws its forces.

The sanctions, if enacted, would apply to the U.S. assets of Turkey's political leadership, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The sanctions would also apply to any person who sells or provides funds, material or technological support to the Turkish military and prohibit the United States from selling it arms and military services.

A close ally of the president, Graham, R-S.C., urged Trump to change his position.

"American is better than this," he said in a tweet. "Please stand up to Turkey, Mr. President."

Hollen, D-Md., said he will ask Congress for an immediate vote on the sanctions framework as soon as it reconvenes "to send a clear message to Turkey that it must cease and desist its military action."

"Turkey must pay a heavy price for attacking our Syrian Kurdish partners," Hollen said via Twitter. "Senators on both sides of the aisle won't support abandoning the one regional group most responsible for putting [IS] on its heels."

Along with Graham, other Republicans and Trump allies have criticized the president's removal of U.S. troops from Syria that allowed Erdogan's military to move in.

Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., condemned Trump's decision, saying it was resulting in "sickening and predictable consequences."

"The U.S. is abandoning our ally the Kurds, who fought [IS] on the ground and helped protect the U.S. homeland," she said in a statement. "... This action imperils American security and that of our allies. Congress must and will act to limit the catastrophic impact of this decision."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the consequences to the United States because of Trump's decision will be great.

"At request of this administration, the Kurds served as the primary ground fighters against [IS] in Syria so U.S. troops wouldn't have to. Then cut a deal with Erdogan allowing him to wipe them out," Rubio said in a tweet. "Damage to our reputation & national interest will be extraordinary & long-lasting."

 

[BATMAN]

It seems, Turkish offense didn't fit US bill.
As a consequence, i believe US will reverse it's decision of pullout, which might disturb US operational plans some where else.
US reaction can be judged as of panic.

 

[Falcon29]

Turkish forces along with Syrian rebel factions are making a push for the city of Tel Abyad
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It seemed like Spain supported Turkey initially, but now it is not clear:

 

[Falcon29]

It seems, Turkish offense didn't fit US bill.
As a consequence, i believe US will reverse it's decision of pullout, which might disturb US operational plans some where else.
US reaction can be judged as of panic.

US withdrew forces from northern areas. They are still all over eastern/southeastern Syria along with British forces. They do not want Syrian opposition to replace Kurdish rule. Because Syrian opposition with Turkish cover will replicate example in Idlib. Regime can't advance on Idlib because of Turkish presence there. Syrian opposition will not deal with Israel nor endorse Kurdish separatism.

There is a lot of support for the Syrian regime in the world.

 

[Falcon29]

The media seems to be trying hard to convince the US public that the fight against ISIS is affected by this. It is not, ISIS is gone. And Kurds still control majority of eastern Syria(where US and British forces are present). Turkey is doing operation on northern strip, 30KM deep. ISIS can't make any kind of resurgence. And they have no more flow of fighters at all. Whoever takes over, Syrian government, Turkey led opposition, or Kurds, ISIS can't come back.

 

[Falcon29]