Syria

Will US betray Rojava Kurds —or NATO ally Turkey?

The Kurdish question in northern Syria has really put US imperialism in a bind—its most effective anti-ISIS allies on the ground are the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), regarded as “terrorists” by longtime NATO ally Turkey. Now, just weeks after the White House announced it would be demanding back the weapons it has supplied to the SDF to fight ISIS, comes the news that the Pentagon intends to train SDF fighters as a special force to control the northern border zone. Ankara reacted angrily, threatening to attack SDF-held territory. If it comes to open war between Turkey and the SDF, the US will have to stop equivocating and throw its lot in with either one or the other. (Photo: SDF fighters via CentCom)

Watching the Shadows

Counterpunch justifies Kremlin propaganda

After the Washington Post cited FBI sources to the effect that at least one recent contributor to Counterpunch was a "probable Russian troll," editor Jeffrey St. Clair responds by defending "pro-Russian" bias, pointing to instances of "bias" in favor of horrible things like torture and nuclear strikes by mainstream wonks. So much for the notion of the "alternative media" actually taking a higher standard than the dreaded "MSM," and actually providing an alternative. Instead the idea seems to be that if they can run sinister propaganda, so can we. (Photo: Wikipedia)

Syria

Assad bashes Rojava Kurds as ‘traitors’

The Rojava Kurds, repeatedly accused of collaborating with Bashar Assad, have now been dissed by the dictator as “traitors” for accepting aid from the United States. But the White House says this aid is coming to an end now that ISIS is largely defeated in northern Syria. And the rebel opposition, including the Free Syrian Army, remain intransigent in refusing to recognize Kurdish autonomy—seeming to share in the Arab nationalist assumptions of the dictatorship they oppose. Having outlived their usefulness in the fight against ISIS, the Kurds could find themselves once again isolated and without allies. (Photo: Redspark)

Syria

China prepares to deploy elite forces to Syria

China is preparing to deploy elite troops to Syria in support of dictator Bashar al-Assad’s forces, fearing the presence of Islamist militants in its far western territory of Xinjiang, according to media reports in the region. China’s Defense Ministry intends to send two units known as the “Night Tigers” and the “Tigers of Siberia” from the People’s Liberation Army Special Operations Forces to aid the Assad regime. Damascus claims up to 5,000 ethnic Uighurs from Xinjiang are fighting in Syria.

Syria

US to demand arms back from Rojava Kurds

The Trump administration plans to ask Syrian Kurdish fighters to return weapons “loaned” for the fight against ISIS, an official told Al-Monitor. This was revealed the same day the White House made its first comment on claims by the Turkish foreign minister that US support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces would be coming to an end. White House mouthpiece Sarah Huckabee Sanders said “the plan…is to…wind down support for certain groups.”

Syria

Syria: ‘de-escalation’ zones become kill zones

The so-called “de-escalation” zones declared under Russia’s “peace plan” for Syria have actually become kill zones, as Moscow and the Assad regime continue their bombardment, citing the presence in the rebel enclaves of jihadist factions not covered by the deal. But the rebels and civil resistance forces have little ability to expel the jihadists—and sometimes the air-strikes continue even after they have.

Syria

SDF declare Raqqa ‘fully liberated’ from ISIS

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that they have “fully cleared” Raqqa of jihadist fighters and “liberated” the city from ISIS. But the city lies in ruins after months of US-led bombardment, with no water or electricity. The SDF pledges to turn Raqqa over to civilian control, but rival councils loyal to the SDF and FSA each claim to be the city’s legitimate government.

Syria

Conviction in Syrian regime war crime —at last

For the first time, after six years of war and escalating atrocities, a member of the Syrian regime’s military has been convicted of a war crime—a low-level soldier now in Sweden as a refugee, and tried in that country’s courts. Yet there have been several convictions of Syrian rebel and ISIS fighters in European courts. This gross imbalance in convictions persists despite the fact that Assad has killed far more Syrians than ISIS or any other “terrorist” outfit in the country.

Syria

Further internationalization of Syrian war

Turkey sends more troops into Syria to fight jihadist factions in Idlib province, while Russia delivers more missiles to its military base at Tartus, and the US steps up bombardment of Raqqa in support of Kurdish forces in their drive to take the city from ISIS. Can these multiple foreign forces avoid attacking each other, even if accidentally, and sparking a wider war beyond Syria’s borders?

Syria

Trump and Putin team up to destroy Syria

As ISIS-held Raqqa is bombed into ruins by US forces, rebel-held Idlib is suffering the same fate under Russian and Assad regime warplanes. Civilian casualties are fast mounting in both enclaves. The twin aerial campaigns come just as Trump has cut off aid to the Free Syrian Army, indicating that the long-anticipated imperial carve-up of Syria is now well underway.

Syria

Syria: Russia denies bombing Kurdish forces

With Russian-backed Assad regime forces advancing on the ISIS-held city of Deir ez-Zor from the west and Kurdish forces advancing from the east, a breaking point appears to be approaching in the Kurds’ own tactical alliance with Moscow. Now, with reports that Russian warplanes bombed Kurdish positions outside the city, this breaking point may have arrived. And US advisors are embedded in the Kurdish units, holding the risk of escalation to a global conflict.

Syria

Syria: talks must address ‘disappeared’

International backers of negotiations to end the conflict in Syria should ensure that any transitional process includes a robust independent body to investigate thousands of “disappeared,” Human Rights Watch said Aug. 30, the UN-designated International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria has determined that the use of enforced disappearance by the Syrian regime is widespread, and may amount to a crime against humanity.