Jacobin, on abandoning the Kurds and the annihilation of Rojava

Billy_T wrote:

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/10/rojava-syria-erdogan-turkey-united-states-military

Excerpt:

Following the rise of ISIS and its dramatic control of vast swaths of Syria and Iraq, the Syrian Kurds emerged as one of the key groups in the coalition constructed by the United States to combat the advance of the self-proclaimed caliphate. This alliance was always a marriage of convenience. In ideological terms, it led to the peculiar situation whereby US military support was facilitating the formation of a leftist experiment based upon Öcalan’s interpretations of the work of New York anarchist Murry Bookchin, Democratic Confederalism. More seriously from Washington’s perspective, this pact undermined relations with Turkey, a US ally, as Erdoğan grew ever more hostile to the Syrian Kurds. In short, the US’s partnership with the Syrian Kurds created unsustainable tensions in US foreign policy.

It seemed inevitable that, at some point, the United States would have to make a choice between Ankara and Rojava. While the war with ISIS continued, that decision could be delayed. But with the effective defeat of ISIS, the reason d’étre of the American presence in Syria came to an end. Now, with Trump’s announcement that the United States could withdraw from Syria — a decision previewed in December 2018 — that contradiction in US policy might be resolved in favor of Erdogan.

Tweeting in response to criticism, the president wrote, “WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN.” Trump’s compromise with Ankara would open the way for Turkey to march into Rojava, clear out the population, and transform the demographics of Northern Syria.

Generally speaking, when I hear about a plan to remove American troops from the battlefield, I favor it. Bring ’em home!! But the more I learn about this particular sudden shift in US policy, the worse it sounds. Boiled down, Turkey has long wanted free rein to slaughter the Kurds. They see their drive for independence as a direct threat. Until last night, the presence of American troops in Syria was preventing a direct attack, and unless Trump changes his mind again, it looks like tens of thousands (or more) Kurds are in existential danger from Erdogan. As the above article shows, so is the leftist experiment in Rojava.

The Kurds are holding tens of thousands ISIS members in captivity. If they suddenly find themselves in a battle with Turkish troops, they will likely be forced to set them free.

I wonder if the leftist ideology of the Kurds played a part in their abandonment? I know Trump incorrectly thinks ISIS has been defeated, but the infusion of thousands of formerly captive fighters could invigorate their fighting spirit.

Billy_T wrote:

nittany ram wrote:

The Kurds are holding tens of thousands ISIS members in captivity. If they suddenly find themselves in a battle with Turkish troops, they will likely be forced to set them free.

I wonder if the leftist ideology of the Kurds played a part in their abandonment? I know Trump incorrectly thinks ISIS has been defeated, but the infusion of thousands of formerly captive fighters could invigorate their fighting spirit.

I read that too. I haven’t checked back on this today, but it’s a guarantee that if Turkish forces go after the Kurds, whom they vastly outnumber, the Kurds have no choice but to stop guarding the ISIS captives and move to that new front. That means all of those captives escape prison, obviously, and find their way back to whatever organizational structure they may still have or can reform.

Aside from the obscene immorality of turning our backs on the Kurds yet again, this is going to cause major blowback. And the Kurds took the brunt of the dying in the battle against ISIS. I think these numbers are roughly correct:

More than 11,000 Kurdish fighters died in the battles, compared with something like a dozen Americans.

Good point about their ideology. I suspect that is a factor, especially for Erdogan. Trump’s alt-right whisperers too.

On the surface at least, there’s nothing that makes sense about abandoning the Kurds to the whim of the Turks.

No matter how he spins it, he knows ISIS isn’t defeated. Surely his military advisors have told him this. Ending US military involvement in the Mid East was a campaign promise, but only after accomplishing objectives that haven’t really been accomplished. Besides, his base likes that we’re over there killing brown people. There’s really no political pressure for him to do this.

Billy_T wrote:

wv wrote:

Well the Kurds had to be expecting this.

I mean, its Chinatown, and all…

w
v

WV,

Can you flesh out that reference? I love the movie, but I’m missing something.

If you had said Lucy and the football, I would have gotten it right away. Of course, the life and death events in the balance probably make references to comics a bit too much at the moment.

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The US Imperialist-Corporate/Government is ‘chinatown.’

How could the Kurds not expect this. Again.

I mean, I was expecting it 🙂

w
v