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US, Turkish forces will start joint training for Manbij ‘very soon’
"I would say within 72 hours actually. Very soon, could be sooner," US Secretary of Defense Mattis told journalists on Thursday, Voice of America has reported. He added that US training gear, equipment, and training officers are in ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... The two NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... allies are currently conducting "coordinated but independent" around the northern Syrian city. The US-led international coalition backed the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in a 2016 campaign to take the city from ISIS. The SDF is primarily composed of the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG). Turkey objected to an SDF or YPG presence there, claiming they are Syrian extensions of the PKK. The city's security is now in the hands of the Manbij Military Council. Washington and Ankara reached an agreement on a plan for Manbij on June 4. The spokesperson for the coalition, US Army Col. Sean Ryan said in June that the details of the agreement were still being negotiated, but Several sources have told Rudaw that The training comes at a time when diplomatic relations have been strained by US sanctions and tariffs against Ankara and inflammatory rhetoric by US President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... and his US Department of Defense and Department of State officials have repeatedly said they will stay in northern Syria. Posted by: trailing wife 2018-08-19 |
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