Iraq
US prepares ground troops for Syria
The Pentagon is dispatching some 2,500 combat troops to back up forces fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, as the US-led anti-ISIS coalition continues to fracture.
Tag: Kurdistan
Syria
Kurdish forces hand over villages to Assad regime?
Amid shifting alliances in the scramble for northern Syria, Kurdish-led forces are accused of handing over territory to the Assad regime, in a deal brokered by Russia.
Iraq
Multiple forces hit ISIS on all fronts
US, Iraqi, Kurdish, Turkish and Syrian rebel forces are closing the ring around ISIS—but in an uneasy alliance, with little plan for the future of seized territories.
Greater Middle East
Turkey: investigate arrests of opposition leaders
The People's Democratic Party of Turkey called on the European Court of Human Rights to investigate the unlawful imprisonment of the party's co-chairs.
Iraq
Can Assad (and Putin) reconquer all Syria?
Trump dramatically steps up US air-strikes along the Syrian border in Iraq, as Russia pitches the Kurds and Syrian rebels on a peace deal that will allow Assad to remain in power.
Iraq
Iraq: mass exodus from embattled Mosul
Three thousand displaced persons are fleeing the embattled city of Mosul on a daily basis as US-backed Iraqi and Kurdish forces advance on the ISIS stronghold.
Syria
Russia ‘withdraws’ from Syria —not
Despite misleading media accounts, Moscow has only withdrawn its aircraft carier from Syria’s coast, and is in fact beefing up forces at its bases within the country.
Greater Middle East
Turkey: life term for Kurdish opposition leader?
Turkish prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Figen YüksekdaÄŸ, co-chair of the Kurdish-led Peoples’ Democratic Party, on charges of “terrorism” for her alleged ties to PKK.
Watching the Shadows
Obama’s final year: a CounterVortex scorecard
With a Trump despotism looming, CounterVortex offers its final assessment of Barack Obama's record in addressing the oppressive legacy of the Global War on Terrorism.
Syria
Great Power betrayal to re-unite Syrian revolution?
Now abandoned by all the Great Powers, Syria’s popular resistance is again emphasizing internal unity against the Assad dictatorship, bridging Arab and Kurdish forces.
Greater Middle East
Russia betrays Kurds as Syria alliance shifts
After initiating talks that exclude Washington, Turkey and Russia each accused the US of backing “terrorist groups” in Syria—obviously meaning the Kurds.
Greater Middle East
Assad delivers ultimatum to Aleppo Kurds
Kurdish forces will have to hand over control of their enclave of Sheikh Maqsoud in Aleppo to the Damascus regime by the end of the year, according to an Assad military advisor.