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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Saudi Arabia, UAE send troops to support Kurds in Syria
2018-12-23
[MEMO] Saudi Arabia and the UAE have sent military forces to areas controlled by the Kurdish YPG group in north-east Syria, Turkey’s Yenisafak newspaper reported.

The paper said the forces will be stationed with US-led coalition troops and will support its tasks with huge military enforcements as well as heavy and light weapons.

Quoting the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the newspaper reported that a convoy of troops belonging to an Arab Gulf state recently arrived in the contact area between the Kurdish PKK/YPG and Daesh in the Deir Ez-Zor countryside.

This comes at a time when Ankara is preparing to launch an expanded military operation with the Free Syrian Army against the Kurdish PKK group in the northeast of Syria.

Read: Saudi-UAE-Kurdish military meeting in northern Syria

Saudi and Emirati military advisers have in recent months met with officials of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered by Turkey as terrorist organisations, at the US base in north-east Syria.

There are fears of Arab-Turkish confrontations that will be the first of their kind on Syrian soil.
Posted by:Besoeker

#17  Vladimir approved of the US moves. Anybody think he knew this was coming?
Posted by: gorb   2018-12-23 17:05  

#16  A Turkish foothold in Syria would not be welcomed by the Russians. The entire region is a powder keg. I suspect POTUS' decision will soon be vindicated.
Posted by: Besoeker   2018-12-23 16:34  

#15  This is exactly the sort of maneuvering I would expect coming from Trump. The timing and the media so unprepared. Perhaps salutations a bit much for Trump alone but a masters chess player he appears to be. The mud throwing and mockery of him hides the moves he makes and so spectacular success seems so unexpected. I have said this before that more is to come. Pass the popcorn.
Posted by: Dale   2018-12-23 16:14  

#14  Now that you've explained it and the timeline, the Saudis being in the works means Trump's exit wasn't necessarily as sudden as the Media has made it look.

Trump actually prepping replacements from Saudi and UAE? I hope its true. And in the process getting the Kurds Artillery? Dream come true for the Kurds. Doing this in advance to his announcement of a "withdrawal" should NOT be "news", and yet here it is only now coming to light yet reported on a while back.

The puzzle pieces are coming together now with Kashoggi and the Saudis, the withdrawal from Syria, and a surprising lack of complaining coming from the Kurds themselves.

I would bet the Kurds would gladly trade the 2000 US troops in the AO for real artillery of their own and some US special ops advisers/trainers.

I think we've been had by the MSM and their editorial bias of simply refusing to cover things if it doesn't fit their narrative or if they do not understand the implications at the time.

Anyone know where I can find recipes for Crow? I may be needing one quite soon.
Posted by: Injun Bucket8891   2018-12-23 15:01  

#13  good point Injun B.

However, initially, it is likely the Turks will try to use their proxies in the FSA to probe for weakness. If they do and the Kurds respond with their usual ferocity, it will go badly for the FSA.

The the Turks will have to decide if they really want to risk the kind of disaster you imply.
Posted by: lord garth   2018-12-23 13:39  

#12  Are the Saudis bringing the one thing the US would not give the Kurds?

Artillery. If so then this is huge.

Going back to the battle of Omdurman, regional armies are usually on the receiving end of western artillery. Give the Kurds heavy artillery will let them continue to punch well above their class.

All they would need is SAMs or MANPADs to shoot down the Turkish AF, and there would be hell to pay by the Turks for any incursion.
Posted by: Injun Bucket8891   2018-12-23 12:31  

#11  Trivia question: How many reporters would look at that photo and write, "Three tanks"?
Posted by: Matt   2018-12-23 11:57  

#10  Is giving Erdogan the finger, Trumps way of thanking him for the Flynn trouble?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2018-12-23 11:54  

#9  According to an Ay Pee article this morning, Turkey sent more troops — a commando unit in 50 vehicles, whatever that means — into Syria overnight. But now, instead of facing only cleverly fighting Kurdish irregulars armed with light weapons, the Saudi and Emirati contingent is now in place with heavy weaponry.
Posted by: trailing wife   2018-12-23 11:35  

#8  Upon further thought, supposedly Mattis quit largely because of this. Does that still hold true? Maybe this is something that Trump came up with after he quit? Maybe the Saudis figured it out themselves?
Posted by: gorb   2018-12-23 11:23  

#7  How dare you do this with consulting us and giving us a chance to bitch, whine and disparage before hand?

Actually, I think there is a component of needing g time to coordinate both their narrative and attack that they didn't get. I wonder if they'll learn from this. So Trump seems to have seen the same thing we did and had it covered no matter what direction things went. Now we just have to hope it works as planned ....
Posted by: gorb   2018-12-23 11:20  

#6  Upon reading beyond the headline and second sentence:

This has been in the works for a while without me noticing. Besoeker’s article is dated November 22, 2018, while the Read link is from the end of May. From the May article:

Saudi, Emirati and Jordanian military officials visited an international coalition military base in the Kurdish Syrian region of Kobani yesterday, according to local sources.

Al Jazeera reported that the officials met leaders of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces and field commanders in the international coalition during their 24 hour visit.

The Anadolu Agency said that the visit was aimed at establishing Arab military units in the region whose nucleus would be Al-Sanadid Forces, one of the factions affiliated with the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces. Sources stated that in the upcoming period, the units would form one of the Border Guard Forces, with Saudi funding.

The Turkish news agency confirmed that each associate of these units would get $200 per month, and added that points of contact would be established in Al-Hasakah and Qamishli to receive and run the affairs of the associates.

The news agency also said that the aforementioned meeting was held with officials of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey considers terrorist groups. Anadolu quoted local sources as saying that in April, Saudi Arabia sent aid to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria.

The news agency added that on October 2017, the Saudi minister of Gulf affairs, Thamer Al-Sabhan, visited the city of Raqqa, which is controlled by the party, and met US officials there.

Turkey rejects any international intervention to support the Syrian Democratic Forces, an affiliate of the outlawed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (PKK).

Good find, Besoeker, and a news site to add to our list. This is exactly why I waited for the other shoe to drop after yesterday’s announcement. President Trump has neatly hornswoggled Sultan Erdogan I “the much beloved”.
Posted by: trailing wife   2018-12-23 11:19  

#5   Perhaps the Donald had a chat with the Saudis and Emirates before announcing the US withdrawal.

A big part of the freakout in the media and elsewhere is over the fact that Trump didn't pre-announce his intentions. How dare you do this with consulting us and giving us a chance to bitch, whine and disparage before hand?

Leaving aside the idea that regional powers might play a role in regional affairs, I do like the suggestion that this is a thank-you to Trump for not jumping on the Kashoggi bandwagon.
Posted by: SteveS   2018-12-23 10:04  

#4  I think it's pretty obvious Trump arranged this.
Posted by: jvalentour   2018-12-23 10:01  

#3  Perhaps the Donald had a chat with the Saudis and Emirates before announcing the US withdrawal.
Posted by: Vortigern Elmusotle7351   2018-12-23 09:50  

#2  I am absolutely blindsided. Who arranged that?????

Posted by: trailing wife   2018-12-23 09:19  

#1  Mr. Khashoggi to the white courtesy phone please, Mr. Jamal Khashoggi
Posted by: Besoeker   2018-12-23 05:49  

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