So it looks like SDF has finally taken Hajin in Syria. Last real town ISIL had in Syria. Good work by SDF, but damn that took a long long long time. Cizire Storm started in September 2017 and SDF has been right outside the town since last December.
So I’m hoping they can clear out the rest of that Euphrates pocket quickly. So just a reminder that the anti ISIL campaign has been going on and trying to take territory back from ISIL in Syria for almost two years of Trump’s presidency. I mention that because when someone complains about ISIL not being rolled back fast enough under Obama(and it was falling back on every front when he left, half of Mosul already taken and SDF five kilometers from Raqqa) just ask why it took a year just to take Hajin under Trump. Not belittling the incredibly successful anti ISIL campaign started under Obama and continued under Trump, but sometimes these things take time.
Assad forces and SDF continue to watch each other warily. This doesn’t change that. Turkey is getting ready to attack SDF in the north with the help of their pet Syrian rebels. Remains to be seen if we can continue to stop Erdogan from doing that. This week they’ve been getting troops ready to do it and the rhetoric has really been ratcheted up. We have at least a couple thousand troops in SDF territory and multiple observation posts trying to keep Turkey/TFSA from clashing with SDF. Don’t know how much longer that works. It’ll be a disaster if it happens.
“We” is the US Army, Marine Corps and Air Force. And therefore, we as a nation. Other nations too, coalition partners(France more than others). But I don’t see US casualties from a Turkish move into Manbij, Kobani, Tal Abyad and all of Hasakah. Everyone knows the rules. NATO members don’t kill NATO members. If it’s going to happen, we won’t be there.
Now this is interesting. Shot down by SDF but an intriguing idea.
Peshmerga from Iraq(KRG) going to the Syrian border with Turkey to replace YPG. Turkey has a working relationship with KRG. And in 2014 Turkey let Peshmerga travel through Turkey to fight in Kobani. They absolutely would not let YPG go through Turkey to fight ISIL. I didn’t think of this as an idea. Once again, shot down by SDF, but maybe that can be negotiated. Hmmmm…
