Kurds Defend Kurdish Areas of Northern Syria Against Jihadist Attacks from Turkey

[Comrade Grumpy]

Source: AllVoices.com

n the city of Ras al-Ain in the Kurdish area of northern Syria, fighting rages between several radical groups who crossed the border from Turkey and joined battle against Kurdish militia defending the city. In order to conserve his military power, Assad withdrew his troops from Kurdish areas of Syria allowing the Kurds to be more or less autonomous. The Kurds themselves are divided on whether to support or fight against the Assad regime and are staying more or less neutral while defending control of the area they occupy.

Attacks on Ras al-Ain have caused many residents to flee the city. The jihadists were from the Al-Nusra Front and Ghuraba al-Sham. A resident said that: "the fighting became more intense in the evening after Kurdish fighters received reinforcements to try to stop the fiercest rebel assault ever since insurgents first arrived in the city" Al-Nusra Front is listed by the US as a terrorist organization a designation that is opposed by Syrian rebels since the group are active and effective fighters against Assad.

A Kurdish activist, living in Ras al-Kain said that the jihadists crossed the nearby Turkish border with three tanks and entered the city. He claimed the Kurdish militia seized one tank.The activist noted: “The advancing rebels did not use the tanks to fight the regime. Instead, they used them to shell Ras al-Ain." One wonders how jihadists are able to get tanks in Turkey without the Turkish government being aware of what is happening. Kurdish analysts suspect that Turkey may be using the jihadists to wage their own battle against Kurds.

Many worry about the consequences of a continuing battle between Kurds and jihadists. Prominent Kurdish journalist and activist Massoud Akko said: “Should the fight morph into a struggle between Kurds and Arabs... Syria and the revolt [against Assad] are both in real danger.”

Read more: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/13853498-kurds-defend-kurdish-area-of-northern-syrai-against-jihadist-attacks-from-turkey

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Killer quote: "One wonders how jihadists are able to get tanks in Turkey without the Turkish government being aware of what is happening. Kurdish analysts suspect that Turkey may be using the jihadists to wage their own battle against Kurds."

[aquart]

1. "Suspect"? Turks kill Kurds.

I favor the Kurds.

[dlwickham]

2. I'd bet that the Turkish governent is all too aware of what's going on

[bemildred]

3. That seems very likely.

I'm starting to think something is up with the Turkey-Kurdish situation.

[REP]

4. Something is always up, and it's almost always bad

[bemildred]

5. This looks pretty bad, if what I'm thinking is right.

War, and war, and more war, without even being quite sure what the sides are or what the fight is about.

But it's already pretty bad.

[REP]

6. I think you're right

And I think the Paris incident may have been orchestrated by the Turkish government (my only evidence is that the AK suck).

[dlwickham]

7. be a perfect opportunity for the Turkish government to do some heavy damage to the Kurds

everyone is paying attention to Syria and what's a few more dead people in that country

who's going to know if the Turkish government decides to send a few troops across the border to do some dirty work

[bemildred]

8. Yes, a bit of divide-and-rule, I doubt they want the Kurds all getting united. nt

[paleotn]

10. Nope, they sure don't...

...looks like the classic war by proxy. Looks like the Turks took a page from the last 50 years of US foreign policy. I'm sure Iraq and Iran are not the least bit upset about this situation. A united "Kurdistan" would take significant chunks out of their sovereign territory, but Turkey has the most to loose.

[bemildred]

12. Yes, I see that you see. nt

[paleotn]

13. I've been told...

....I have a wonderful grasp of the obvious.

[bemildred]

14. Yeah, "who could have predicted this?".

Like from the day Shrub and CrashCart started their war in Iraq. In this context it's worth remembering that that war, it was started over Turkey's vehement objections.

And anybody that thinks that war is over is likely wrong too. We may have pulled our troops out, but it is far from over.

[redecrete]

9. Jihadist Regime

PM Erdogan is a Jihadist disquised as a Statesman. He wants to massacre the Kurds just like the Turks did to the Aremenians a century ago.

[bemildred]

11. Thanks for warning us. nt

[dipsydoodle]

15. Syrian rebels clash with Kurds in northeast - activists

(Reuters) - At least 56 people have been killed in a week of fighting in northeast Syria between anti-government rebels and members of the long-oppressed Kurdish minority who have seized on the civil war to try to secure self-rule, activists said on Tuesday.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which collates reports on Syria's violence from local activists, said on Tuesday that the anti-Damascus rebels were using tanks and mortars on Tuesday against Kurdish forces.

In a separate incident, it said at least 42 people including women and children had been killed when a car bomb targeting a pro-government militia went off on Monday evening in the town of Salamiyah, east of the central city of Hama.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/22/uk-syria-crisis-idUKBRE90L0DK20130122