US-backed Kurds in Syria continue to be targeted by NATO Turkey: A paper tiger
Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The debacle in Afghanistan, reminiscent of past events in the Mekong Delta, is equally applied to the treatment of Kurds at the hands of NATO Turkey. President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, noting the indifference of former President Donald Trump in the realm of military issues, forced Kurds out of certain areas of Northern Syria by utilizing a patchwork of mercenaries and Islamist terrorists – while the armed forces of Turkey bombarded the United States (US) backed Kurds. Therefore, the debacle in Afghanistan under President Joe Biden will further embolden Turkey to strike various Kurdish factions in Northern Syria and Iraq.
In 2019, US-backed Kurds condemned America for allowing NATO Turkey to further its ambition in Northern Syria. Of course, this isn’t the first time the Kurds felt abandoned because past events in Iraq indicate the untrustworthy nature of an alleged ally. Indeed, under the leadership of Barack Obama before Trump and Biden, it was noticeable that Sunni Islamists were utilizing the borderlands between Turkey and Syria to kill Kurds.
Mao Zedong (1893-1976), concerning American imperialism, said in 1956, “In appearance it is very powerful but in reality it is nothing to be afraid of; it is a paper tiger. Outwardly a tiger, it is made of paper, unable to withstand the wind and the rain. I believe that it is nothing but a paper tiger.”
It wasn’t the first time that Mao said “a paper tiger” when aiming this at America. However, irrespective of the brutal deeds of the Cultural Revolution under Mao, his thinking resonates with recent events. Therefore, the debacle in Afghanistan is equally being played out in Northern Syria, even if the degree is lesser.
US-backed Kurds are once more being attacked by Turkish drones aimed at Kurdish military points and commanders. Hence, the debacle in Afghanistan is emboldening Erdogan because he senses it is the right time to increase attacks against the Kurds. Thus more military attacks by Turkey are being reported in Kobani, Qamishli, and Tell Tamer.
Voice of America reports, “Turkey reportedly carried out dozens of airstrikes last week, including several with unmanned aerial vehicles, against positions belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led military alliance that has been a major U.S. partner in the fight against the Islamic State group, also known as IS or ISIS.”
In 2019, under the presidency of Trump, the Kurds witnessed another sudden US military pull-out. This resulted in many Kurdish deaths after NATO Turkey enforced its anti-Kurdish policies in Northern Syria.
Ilham Ahmed (Ehmed), an important Kurdish politician in Northern Syria, lamented US deeds in 2019. She said, “We have been promised by the United States on a couple of occasions that areas that have US forces will never be attacked by Turkey…However, we saw that the US did not fulfill its promise after the Turkish incursion.”
The Trump administration never started a war unlike recent leaders of America.
However, events in Afghanistan have reduced the current Biden administration to be clueless and seeking to spin the ongoing disaster. Yet, the increasing targeting of Kurds in the last week by NATO Turkey – mainly being overlooked – does point in the direction of “a paper tiger.”
The one fear, given the recent leaders of America often going to war apart from Trump, is that the Biden administration might seek a humanitarian war that usually ends up being anything but “humanitarian.”
If so, then expect another bombardment followed by “cut and run” after untold deaths occur.
https://www.voanews.com/europe/reported-turkish-drone-attacks-over-syria-raise-kurdish-concerns
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