The battle lines in the 21st&nbsp;century’s Great Game aimed at shaping the creation of a new Eurasia-centred world, built on the likely fusion of Europe and Asia into what former Portuguese Europe minister&nbsp;Bruno Macaes calls a “supercontinent,”&nbsp;are all but cast in cement.

For now, the Great Game pits China together with Russia, Turkey and Iran against the United States, India, Japan and Australia. The two camps compete for influence, if not dominance, in a swath of land that stretches from the China Sea to the Atlantic coast of Europe.

The flashpoints are multiple. They range from the China Sea to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Central European nations and, most recently, far beyond with&nbsp;Russia, China and Turkey supporting embattled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

The rivalry resembles&nbsp;Risk, a popular game&nbsp;of diplomacy, conflict and conquest played on a board depicting a political map of the earth, divided into forty-two territories, which are grouped into six continents. Multiple players commanding armies that seek to capture territories engage in a complex dance as they strive for advantage and seek to compensate for weaknesses. Players form opportunistic alliances that could change at any moment. Potential black swans threaten to disrupt.

The black swans in the Great Game are multiple and far more numerous than those developed in a just published report by the Paris-based European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS). Nonetheless, the scenarios conceptualized in the report,&nbsp;‘What If? Scanning the horizon: 12 scenarios for 2021,”&nbsp;are grounded in recent trends and could prove to be game changers that radically rejigger the Great Game’s current line-up.

The scenarios or grey swans in the report’s terminology, if they unfold in reality, suggest that alliances in Eurasia are opportunistic and transactional and like with Risk can turn players on their erstwhile allies as interests diverge and re-converge. Analysis of five of the scenarios suggests that fragility is greatest in the efforts of China, Russia, Turkey and Iran to rebalance global power in their favour.

They suggest that strains in the United States’ relations with Russia and Turkey are not immutable. Similarly, Russia’s effort to lock in former Soviet republics with its Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) that groups Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Belarus, and Armenia could prove to be on shaky ground. Russia’s alliance with Turkey and China as well as Iran even if the report has not developed the latter possibility may be on thinner ice than meets the eye.

The same can be said for grey swans in the United States’ ties to its long-standing allies as is played out in the report’s scenario for a withdrawal of US troops from Europe as a result of President Donald Trump’s accentuation of diverging trans-Atlantic interests.

With a multi-polar world the likely outcome of the battle for Eurasia, the scenarios suggest that the perceived decline of the United States, despite Trump’s unilateralism, is not irreversible. Similarly, depending on how it plays its cards, Iran could emerge either as a winner or a loser.

The four scenarios involve a renewed round of popular protest in the Arab world following the reversal of successful revolts in 2011 in Egypt, Libya and Yemen and the embrace of brutal repression; political violence in the Caucasus that pits Turkey against Russia and could threaten key nodes along China’s Belt and Road; the dissolution of the Eurasian Economic Union in an approaching post-Vladimir Putin era; a rejiggering of the political map of south-eastern Europe and&nbsp;&nbsp;a strengthening of European cohesion with the US troop withdrawal and resolution of tension between Serbia and Kosovo.

The notion of renewed popular Arab protests, including resistance to the influence of militias in Syria and Libya, that could rewrite the political map of the Middle East&nbsp;&nbsp;is hardly far-fetched with&nbsp;mass anti-government demonstrations in Sudan&nbsp;persisting for more than a month; riots in Tunisia, the one relatively successful 2011 revolt;&nbsp;protests on the West Bankagainst a new social security law; and&nbsp;anti-government marches in Iraq.

If anything, the revolts highlight the risks that all players in the Great Game run by supporting autocratic regimes that have largely failed to sustainably deliver public goods and services and/or offer good governance and cater to the social, economic and political aspirations of young populations.

“Pressure for change across the Arab world is likely to continue to grow, keeping pace with the growth in populations, inequality and social injustice,” concluded journalist Simon Tisdall on the&nbsp;eighth anniversary of the uprising in Egypt&nbsp;that toppled president Hosni Mubarak but was ultimately defeated by a military coup two years later.

The European Union Institute’s report imagines a massive attack on the Baku Kars rail line, a vital node in the Belt and Road’s linking of China to Europe that rekindles dormant local animosities as well as competing Russian and Turkish economic and geostrategic interests, prompting both Moscow and Ankara to lobby Washington for US support.

Similarly, a scenario envisaging Kazakhstan and Belarus withdrawing from the Eurasian union because of its inability to live up to its ambition of furthering regional integration sparks fears in Moscow that the demise of the regional consortium could spark the collapse of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a military alliance that groups the five Eurasian union members as well as Tajikistan and hosts Afghanistan and Serbia as observers. The dissolution of the two organizations would significantly undermine Russia’s regional standing.

Likewise, a swap of land between Serbia and Kosovo that purifies two countries whose inter-communal relations have been poisoned by historic prejudices and recent wars opens a Pandora’s Box across south-eastern Europe but eases their accession to the European Union while a US troop withdrawal would force EU members to focus on collective security.

It would only take one of these scenarios to unfold and potentially spark a revisiting of the current line-up in the Great Game. Any one of the scenarios is a realistic possibility.

Said European Union Institute deputy director Florence Gaub in her introduction to the report: ”Grey Swans share with Black Swans a high level of strategic impact, but there is more evidence to support the idea that they are actually possible… The analogy with the 1985 film ‘Back to the Future’ is pure coincidence, of course – but just as in the film, we sometimes need to take a trip to the future to inform our decision-making today.”

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The battle lines in the 21st century’s Great Game aimed at shaping the creation of a new Eurasia-centred world, built on the likely fusion of Europe and Asia into what former Portuguese Europe minister Bruno Macaes calls a “supercontinent,” are all but cast in cement.

The battle lines in the 21st century’s Great Game aimed at shaping the creation of a new Eurasia-centred world, built on the likely fusion of Europe and Asia into what former Portuguese Europe minister Bruno Macaes calls a “supercontinent,” are all but cast in cement. For now, the Great Game pits China together with Russia, Turkey and Iran against the United States, India, Japan and Australia. The two camps compete for influence, if not dominance, in a swath of land that stretches from the China Sea to the Atlantic coast of Europe. The flashpoints are multiple. They range from the China Sea to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Central European nations and, most recently, far beyond with Russia, China and Turkey supporting embattled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. The rivalry resembles Risk, a popular game of diplomacy, conflict and conquest played on a board depicting a political map of the earth, divided into forty-two territories, which are grouped into six continents. Multiple players commanding armies that seek to capture territories engage in a complex dance as they strive for advantage and seek to compensate for weaknesses. Players form opportunistic alliances that could change at any moment. Potential black swans threaten to disrupt. The black swans in the Great Game are multiple and far more numerous than those developed in a just published report by the Paris-based European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS). Nonetheless, the scenarios conceptualized in the report, ‘What If? Scanning the horizon: 12 scenarios for 2021,” are grounded in recent trends and could prove to be game changers that radically rejigger the Great Game’s current line-up. The scenarios or grey swans in the report’s terminology, if they unfold in reality, suggest that alliances in Eurasia are opportunistic and transactional and like with Risk can turn players on their erstwhile allies as interests diverge and re-converge. Analysis of five of the scenarios suggests that fragility is greatest in the efforts of China, Russia, Turkey and Iran to rebalance global power in their favour. They suggest that strains in the United States’ relations with Russia and Turkey are not immutable. Similarly, Russia’s effort to lock in former Soviet republics with its Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) that groups Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Belarus, and Armenia could prove to be on shaky ground. Russia’s alliance with Turkey and China as well as Iran even if the report has not developed the latter possibility may be on thinner ice than meets the eye. The same can be said for grey swans in the United States’ ties to its long-standing allies as is played out in the report’s scenario for a withdrawal of US troops from Europe as a result of President Donald Trump’s accentuation of diverging trans-Atlantic interests. With a multi-polar world the likely outcome of the battle for Eurasia, the scenarios suggest that the perceived decline of the United States, despite Trump’s unilateralism, is not irreversible. Similarly, depending on how it plays its cards, Iran could emerge either as a winner or a loser. The four scenarios involve a renewed round of popular protest in the Arab world following the reversal of successful revolts in 2011 in Egypt, Libya and Yemen and the embrace of brutal repression; political violence in the Caucasus that pits Turkey against Russia and could threaten key nodes along China’s Belt and Road; the dissolution of the Eurasian Economic Union in an approaching post-Vladimir Putin era; a rejiggering of the political map of south-eastern Europe and a strengthening of European cohesion with the US troop withdrawal and resolution of tension between Serbia and Kosovo. The notion of renewed popular Arab protests, including resistance to the influence of militias in Syria and Libya, that could rewrite the political map of the Middle East is hardly far-fetched with mass anti-government demonstrations in Sudan persisting for more than a month; riots in Tunisia, the one relatively successful 2011 revolt; protests on the West Bankagainst a new social security law; and anti-government marches in Iraq. If anything, the revolts highlight the risks that all players in the Great Game run by supporting autocratic regimes that have largely failed to sustainably deliver public goods and services and/or offer good governance and cater to the social, economic and political aspirations of young populations. “Pressure for change across the Arab world is likely to continue to grow, keeping pace with the growth in populations, inequality and social injustice,” concluded journalist Simon Tisdall on the eighth anniversary of the uprising in Egypt that toppled president Hosni Mubarak but was ultimately defeated by a military coup two years later. The European Union Institute’s report imagines a massive attack on the Baku Kars rail line, a vital node in the Belt and Road’s linking of China to Europe that rekindles dormant local animosities as well as competing Russian and Turkish economic and geostrategic interests, prompting both Moscow and Ankara to lobby Washington for US support. Similarly, a scenario envisaging Kazakhstan and Belarus withdrawing from the Eurasian union because of its inability to live up to its ambition of furthering regional integration sparks fears in Moscow that the demise of the regional consortium could spark the collapse of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a military alliance that groups the five Eurasian union members as well as Tajikistan and hosts Afghanistan and Serbia as observers. The dissolution of the two organizations would significantly undermine Russia’s regional standing. Likewise, a swap of land between Serbia and Kosovo that purifies two countries whose inter-communal relations have been poisoned by historic prejudices and recent wars opens a Pandora’s Box across south-eastern Europe but eases their accession to the European Union while a US troop withdrawal would force EU members to focus on collective security. It would only take one of these scenarios to unfold and potentially spark a revisiting of the current line-up in the Great Game. Any one of the scenarios is a realistic possibility. Said European Union Institute deputy director Florence Gaub in her introduction to the report: ”Grey Swans share with Black Swans a high level of strategic impact, but there is more evidence to support the idea that they are actually possible… The analogy with the 1985 film ‘Back to the Future’ is pure coincidence, of course – but just as in the film, we sometimes need to take a trip to the future to inform our decision-making today.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Black swans haunt Eurasia's Great Game

The Islamic State group made an aborted attempt to retake a village from US-backed forces in eastern Syria Thursday, a monitor said, leaving 50 fighters dead on both sides.

The failed assault came a day after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who are backed by the US-led coalition, took the village of Baghouz from IS.

On Thursday, the jihadist group launched a counterattack including at least three suicide bombers wearing explosive belts against SDF fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Sixteen SDF fighters and 34 IS jihadists were killed in the assault aimed at retaking the village near the Iraqi border, the Britain-based monitor said.

A further "21 IS fighters were taken prisoner as they tried to open up a gap" in defences and make an escape towards Iraq, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF have since September been whittling away at a pocket of territory on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor.

The latest advance by the US-backed group has left the last diehard IS fighters holed up in scattered farmhouses near the Euphrates.

Thousands of people, mostly women and children, have fled into SDF-held territory in recent days, according to the Observatory.

IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate", but they have since lost almost all of it to various offensives.

The jihadists have however retained a presence in the vast Badia desert stretching across Syria, and have continued to claim attacks in SDF-held territory and abroad.

The Islamic State group made an aborted attempt to retake a village from US-backed forces in eastern Syria Thursday, a monitor said, leaving 50 fighters dead on both sides.

The Islamic State group made an aborted attempt to retake a village from US-backed forces in eastern Syria Thursday, a monitor said, leaving 50 fighters dead on both sides. The failed assault came a day after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who are backed by the US-led coalition, took the village of Baghouz from IS. On Thursday, the jihadist group launched a counterattack including at least three suicide bombers wearing explosive belts against SDF fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Sixteen SDF fighters and 34 IS jihadists were killed in the assault aimed at retaking the village near the Iraqi border, the Britain-based monitor said. A further "21 IS fighters were taken prisoner as they tried to open up a gap" in defences and make an escape towards Iraq, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. The SDF have since September been whittling away at a pocket of territory on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. The latest advance by the US-backed group has left the last diehard IS fighters holed up in scattered farmhouses near the Euphrates. Thousands of people, mostly women and children, have fled into SDF-held territory in recent days, according to the Observatory. IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate", but they have since lost almost all of it to various offensives. The jihadists have however retained a presence in the vast Badia desert stretching across Syria, and have continued to claim attacks in SDF-held territory and abroad.

Dozens killed in failed IS counterattack in east Syria

US-backed, Kurdish-led forces are on the verge of eliminating Islamic State militants' last remaining enclave in Syria near the border with Iraq after a four-month devastating bombing campaign that has left hundreds of civilian casualties, residents and rebels said on Wednesday.

The capture of the village of Baghous comes after a string of other villages fell in recent days to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia alliance with aerial bombing strikes by the US-led coalition.

The SDF, who launched a major offensive last September to remove the militants from their last pocket, were at first bogged down by fierce resistance, but advanced last month when they finally took the town of Hajin, the main urban stronghold in the enclave.

The SDF has now only a seven-kilometre stretch that separates them from full control of the entire east of the Euphrates River region, former residents and insurgents from the area say.

Islamic State lost nearly all the territory it once held in Syria last year in separate offensives by the US-backed SD and the Russian-backed Syrian army.

The conquest of the last pocket near the Iraqi border marks a major blow, leaving the militants scattered in sparsely populated desert areas in eastern Syria.

To compensate for the loss of territory, the ultra-hardline militants are now expanding hit-and-run assassinations of SDF fighters and commanders and attacks on checkpoints, security analysts say.

"The militants are changing tactics and adopting guerrilla methods and will be now using hundreds of their sleeper cells to wage deadly attacks," Sheikh Faisal Marashdah, a tribal leader, said.

Former residents in touch with relatives said at least 1,000 civilians left the enclave in the last 48 hours and handed themselves over to the Kurdish-led forces.

Among them were around 150 foreign fighters enlisted with the militants and their families. Kurdish sources said they were taken to an undisclosed high-security camp further north for screening.

Resistance by an estimated several thousand militants fighting to the end collapsed after weeks of aerial bombing of the area that left many of the towns and villages in their hands on the banks of the Euphrates in ruins.

Residents and local activists have accused the US-led coalition of indiscriminate bombing that they blame for killing dozens of civilians since the start of the campaign. The Pentagon says it is careful to avoid civilian casualties in its bombing raids and investigates any allegations.

US-backed, Kurdish-led forces are on the verge of eliminating Islamic State militants' last remaining enclave in Syria near the border with Iraq after a four-month devastating bombing campaign that has left hundreds of civilian casualties, residents and rebels said on Wednesday.

US-backed, Kurdish-led forces are on the verge of eliminating Islamic State militants' last remaining enclave in Syria near the border with Iraq after a four-month devastating bombing campaign that has left hundreds of civilian casualties, residents and rebels said on Wednesday. The capture of the village of Baghous comes after a string of other villages fell in recent days to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia alliance with aerial bombing strikes by the US-led coalition. The SDF, who launched a major offensive last September to remove the militants from their last pocket, were at first bogged down by fierce resistance, but advanced last month when they finally took the town of Hajin, the main urban stronghold in the enclave. The SDF has now only a seven-kilometre stretch that separates them from full control of the entire east of the Euphrates River region, former residents and insurgents from the area say. Islamic State lost nearly all the territory it once held in Syria last year in separate offensives by the US-backed SD and the Russian-backed Syrian army. The conquest of the last pocket near the Iraqi border marks a major blow, leaving the militants scattered in sparsely populated desert areas in eastern Syria. To compensate for the loss of territory, the ultra-hardline militants are now expanding hit-and-run assassinations of SDF fighters and commanders and attacks on checkpoints, security analysts say. "The militants are changing tactics and adopting guerrilla methods and will be now using hundreds of their sleeper cells to wage deadly attacks," Sheikh Faisal Marashdah, a tribal leader, said. Former residents in touch with relatives said at least 1,000 civilians left the enclave in the last 48 hours and handed themselves over to the Kurdish-led forces. Among them were around 150 foreign fighters enlisted with the militants and their families. Kurdish sources said they were taken to an undisclosed high-security camp further north for screening. Resistance by an estimated several thousand militants fighting to the end collapsed after weeks of aerial bombing of the area that left many of the towns and villages in their hands on the banks of the Euphrates in ruins. Residents and local activists have accused the US-led coalition of indiscriminate bombing that they blame for killing dozens of civilians since the start of the campaign. The Pentagon says it is careful to avoid civilian casualties in its bombing raids and investigates any allegations.

US-backed forces about to end Islamic State's last enclave in Syria

The Euphrates emerges where the Karasu and Murat rivers merge in northeastern Turkey and flows to join the Tigris near Basra in Iraq.&nbsp;

Historically, Mesopotamia the region lying between the Euphrates and Tigris, was the heartland of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires. It is today the territory of modern-day Turkey, Syria and Iraq and the centre of a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East.&nbsp;

Where it crosses Syria, a state torn in the conflict between President Assad and a plethora of anti-regime groups, the Euphrates today marks the rough dividing line between forces backed by Iran and the United States.&nbsp;

The area to the river’s east is controlled by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by the United States, while pro-regime forces backed by Iran control the western banks.&nbsp;

This unstated yet clearly demarcated balance was disturbed when President Donald Trump tweeted on December 19 about the immediate and unconditional US retreat from the area east of the Euphrates river.&nbsp;

This was not significant in terms of the numbers of troops that will be withdrawn, but of the deterrence that the US provided through air power and its commitment as the global superpower.&nbsp;

Should this deterrence be removed, the SDF whose backbone is the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), would feel the pressure from multiple actors in the region, including Russia, Turkey and Iran as well as the Syrian regime that is increasingly gaining ground.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (in an opinion piece on January 7 in the New York Times) reacted to the planned withdrawal by positing Turkey as the regional alternative who could ‘get the job done’.&nbsp;

Proposing a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the root causes of extremism, President Erdogan has called for a stabilisation force featuring fighters from all parts of Syria (except those with links to terrorist organisations), adequate representation of all communities in popularly elected councils and most importantly, a willingness to shoulder the responsibility of transition to stable governance.&nbsp;

Implicit in the offer is the stipulation for the liquidation of the YPG, which is the chief US ally in Syria, but which Ankara identifies as a terrorist affiliate of the banned Turkish group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and the establishment of Turkish control in the east of Euphrates, a region covering about 27 per cent of Syrian territory.&nbsp;

This is not the first time Turkey has suggested a ‘zone of influence’ as a surrogate buffer zone. Similar offers of a ‘buffer zone’, signalling its initial intentions of a serious involvement, had been made by Turkey earlier as a measure to protect refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria. What is significant this time is President Trump’s tweet giving Turkey the green signal for actually setting up a 20-mile-wide buffer zone within Syria.

The proposed buffer zone under Turkish control has been rejected by the Syrian Kurds, who have called for the deployment of UN forces along the line separating Kurdish fighters from Turkish troops.&nbsp;

Identifying Turkey as one of the parties to the ongoing dispute, senior political leader Aldar Khalil has argued that as one of the players involved, Turkey cannot guarantee stability.&nbsp;

Complicated ethnic overlaps mean that the Kurdish population in the region now live across Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq with varying levels of autonomy.&nbsp;

While Turkey has accepted northern Iraq’s autonomous status over time, the dilemma is about the future of the Syrian Kurdish areas, adjoining southeastern Turkey, and the precedence that the autonomous status of the Kurds would create for the Kurdish population in Syria and Turkey.&nbsp;

Turkey has battled domestic Kurdish insurgency for decades and has only recently begun negotiations for conciliation. It, therefore, fears the domestic consequences of the creation of a contiguous area under Kurdish control in northern Syria.&nbsp;

When the Syrian crisis started in March 2011, Syria’s Kurds adopted an ambivalent position. However, in July 2012 they took control of several cities in the north where Kurds are in a majority.&nbsp;

The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which governs this region bordering Turkey, is affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and has clearly expressed its interest to form an autonomous zone in Syria comparable to Iraqi Kurdistan, a move Ankara opposes.&nbsp;

Turkey’s Syrian policy, in which President Erdogan had sought President Assad’s overthrow, therefore became counterproductive when it contributed to bringing Syrian Kurds into the fray.

The grandiose Turkish rhetoric faces challenges on a number of fronts. The Turkish plan outlined in the New York Times piece would test Turkish military, administrative and financial capabilities unless supported by US military commitments.&nbsp;

In that case, it would face opposition from Russia, which supports the return of the Kurdish-held regions to the Assad regime and the Astana process of which it is a part.&nbsp;

It would also affect its position in western Syria where it has made inroads into Idlib with Russian support. Syrian Kurds are reportedly in favour of allowing the Assad regime jurisdiction over their areas, rather than surrender control to the Turkish. And most significantly, the January 16 attack on a US military convoy in the northern city of Manbij has raised questions about the practicality of the withdrawal of American ground presence in Syria.&nbsp;

This was the sixth major attack by the Islamic State in less than a month and has raised questions about rhetoric centered around the ‘defeat of the Islamic State’ and reconstruction in a post-Islamic State era. Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan show that any such premature assumptions should be avoided.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-middle-east-s-melting-pot-2710965">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The Euphrates emerges where the Karasu and Murat rivers merge in northeastern Turkey and flows to join the Tigris near Basra in Iraq. Historically, Mesopotamia the region lying between the Euphrates and Tigris, was the heartland of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires.

The Euphrates emerges where the Karasu and Murat rivers merge in northeastern Turkey and flows to join the Tigris near Basra in Iraq. Historically, Mesopotamia the region lying between the Euphrates and Tigris, was the heartland of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires. It is today the territory of modern-day Turkey, Syria and Iraq and the centre of a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East. Where it crosses Syria, a state torn in the conflict between President Assad and a plethora of anti-regime groups, the Euphrates today marks the rough dividing line between forces backed by Iran and the United States. The area to the river’s east is controlled by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by the United States, while pro-regime forces backed by Iran control the western banks. This unstated yet clearly demarcated balance was disturbed when President Donald Trump tweeted on December 19 about the immediate and unconditional US retreat from the area east of the Euphrates river. This was not significant in terms of the numbers of troops that will be withdrawn, but of the deterrence that the US provided through air power and its commitment as the global superpower. Should this deterrence be removed, the SDF whose backbone is the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), would feel the pressure from multiple actors in the region, including Russia, Turkey and Iran as well as the Syrian regime that is increasingly gaining ground. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (in an opinion piece on January 7 in the New York Times) reacted to the planned withdrawal by positing Turkey as the regional alternative who could ‘get the job done’. Proposing a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the root causes of extremism, President Erdogan has called for a stabilisation force featuring fighters from all parts of Syria (except those with links to terrorist organisations), adequate representation of all communities in popularly elected councils and most importantly, a willingness to shoulder the responsibility of transition to stable governance. Implicit in the offer is the stipulation for the liquidation of the YPG, which is the chief US ally in Syria, but which Ankara identifies as a terrorist affiliate of the banned Turkish group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and the establishment of Turkish control in the east of Euphrates, a region covering about 27 per cent of Syrian territory. This is not the first time Turkey has suggested a ‘zone of influence’ as a surrogate buffer zone. Similar offers of a ‘buffer zone’, signalling its initial intentions of a serious involvement, had been made by Turkey earlier as a measure to protect refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria. What is significant this time is President Trump’s tweet giving Turkey the green signal for actually setting up a 20-mile-wide buffer zone within Syria. The proposed buffer zone under Turkish control has been rejected by the Syrian Kurds, who have called for the deployment of UN forces along the line separating Kurdish fighters from Turkish troops. Identifying Turkey as one of the parties to the ongoing dispute, senior political leader Aldar Khalil has argued that as one of the players involved, Turkey cannot guarantee stability. Complicated ethnic overlaps mean that the Kurdish population in the region now live across Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq with varying levels of autonomy. While Turkey has accepted northern Iraq’s autonomous status over time, the dilemma is about the future of the Syrian Kurdish areas, adjoining southeastern Turkey, and the precedence that the autonomous status of the Kurds would create for the Kurdish population in Syria and Turkey. Turkey has battled domestic Kurdish insurgency for decades and has only recently begun negotiations for conciliation. It, therefore, fears the domestic consequences of the creation of a contiguous area under Kurdish control in northern Syria. When the Syrian crisis started in March 2011, Syria’s Kurds adopted an ambivalent position. However, in July 2012 they took control of several cities in the north where Kurds are in a majority. The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which governs this region bordering Turkey, is affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and has clearly expressed its interest to form an autonomous zone in Syria comparable to Iraqi Kurdistan, a move Ankara opposes. Turkey’s Syrian policy, in which President Erdogan had sought President Assad’s overthrow, therefore became counterproductive when it contributed to bringing Syrian Kurds into the fray. The grandiose Turkish rhetoric faces challenges on a number of fronts. The Turkish plan outlined in the New York Times piece would test Turkish military, administrative and financial capabilities unless supported by US military commitments. In that case, it would face opposition from Russia, which supports the return of the Kurdish-held regions to the Assad regime and the Astana process of which it is a part. It would also affect its position in western Syria where it has made inroads into Idlib with Russian support. Syrian Kurds are reportedly in favour of allowing the Assad regime jurisdiction over their areas, rather than surrender control to the Turkish. And most significantly, the January 16 attack on a US military convoy in the northern city of Manbij has raised questions about the practicality of the withdrawal of American ground presence in Syria. This was the sixth major attack by the Islamic State in less than a month and has raised questions about rhetoric centered around the ‘defeat of the Islamic State’ and reconstruction in a post-Islamic State era. Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan show that any such premature assumptions should be avoided. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Middle East’s melting pot

The Permanent Representative of the Syrian Mission to the United Nations said that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-strikes-hamas-camp-after-border-unrest-aid-blocked-192093">Syria is mulling attacking Israel</a>'s Tel Aviv airport in retaliation to the recent airstrike carried out by Israel on Damascus airport.

Furthermore, the Permanent Representative, Bashar Jaafari, called for the United Nations Security Council to take "action to stop constant Israeli attacks on Syrian territories," according to Sputnik.

Jaafari also added that Damascus was mulling over the "symmetric" strike on Tel Aviv airport as part of its right to self-defence.

The Israeli airstrikes were carried out Monday against Iranian targets in Syria,&nbsp;CNN had reported.&nbsp;

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed to have struck Iranian warehouses at the Damascus airport.&nbsp;

The Permanent Representative of the Syrian Mission to the United Nations said that Syria is mulling attacking Israel's Tel Aviv airport in retaliation to the recent airstrike carried out by Israel on Damascus airport.

The Permanent Representative of the Syrian Mission to the United Nations said that Syria is mulling attacking Israel's Tel Aviv airport in retaliation to the recent airstrike carried out by Israel on Damascus airport. Furthermore, the Permanent Representative, Bashar Jaafari, called for the United Nations Security Council to take "action to stop constant Israeli attacks on Syrian territories," according to Sputnik. Jaafari also added that Damascus was mulling over the "symmetric" strike on Tel Aviv airport as part of its right to self-defence. The Israeli airstrikes were carried out Monday against Iranian targets in Syria, CNN had reported. Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed to have struck Iranian warehouses at the Damascus airport.

Syria says it is mulling strike on Israel's Tel Aviv airport

By John Feffer

Donald Trump wants to pull US troops out of Syria as quickly as possible. Well, that’s what the president wants now. Tomorrow, who knows, maybe he’ll insist that Syria pay for the pullout. Maybe Trump will decide to hold a summit with Bashar al-Assad after deciding that the Syrian leader’s not such a bad guy after all, since he also doesn’t like the Islamic State and owes his position to Russian support. Maybe Trump will team up with Turkey to build a wall around Syria because “if we stop them over there, we won’t fight them over here.”

With Trump, all options seem to be in play, and it all depends on what Fox News covers, what the last autocrat or three-star general whispered in his ear, and whether the president’s spleen is acting up or not. The opinions of his own advisors or the foreign policy commissariat seem to matter little. If anything, Trump delights in confounding the experts. After all, he believes himself to be the expert-in-chief.

Foreign policymaking in the Trump era is a lot like curling. Trump lets loose the stone and then the other members of the team start sweeping at the ice in an attempt to alter the trajectory. Sometimes Trump throws in the general direction of the target. Sometimes his aim is so errant that there’s nothing the sweepers can do.

So, after Trump tweeted his new Syria policy, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went into action to alter its trajectory. In an attempt to placate allies aghast at Trump’s decision, Bolton put so many conditions on the pull-out as to seem to render the announcement null and void. Pompeo similarly tried to assure Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and the Gulf States that US policy remains steady: defeat the Islamic State, shut out Iran.

This cavalcade of caveats accomplished little more than to confuse allies and mystify observers. Bolton angered Recep Tayyip Erdoğan so much with his remarks about continued US support for Syrian Kurds that the Turkish president refused to meet with the national security adviser when he visited Ankara this month. A prominent pro-government newspaper decried Bolton’s “soft coup against Trump.”

Trump has subsequently changed his mind about Syria, somewhat, but it wasn’t at the behest of Bolton or Pompeo. The president was persuaded to go slow on the withdrawal when he received a briefing in Iraq from a lieutenant general who explained that the military needed more time to wrap up operations in Syria. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had probably said the same thing to Trump. He resigned when the president ignored his advice. Mattis had disagreed one too many times with the president and thus undermined his authority. With Trump, proximity breeds contempt. 
 
Trump originally demanded that troops withdraw in 30 days. Now, the Pentagon has four months to redeploy the couple thousand troops. The rush to the exit will be more like a covert crawl. And they won’t likely be going very far. The latest reports suggest that the redeployed soldiers are heading for Iraq, to bases in Kirkuk and Anbar.

A history of ambivalence

Trump has been roundly criticised for the incoherence of his policy toward Syria. But let’s face it, Washington has never figured out how to deal with the country — its ruthless leader, its fragmented opposition, its breakaway Kurds, its covetous neighbours — since the Arab Spring protests broke out in 2011. At the very outset, the Obama administration hesitated to throw its support behind pro-democracy demonstrators and was even more ambivalent about intervening militarily when the demonstrators chose to take up arms. 
 
This was not surprising. Obama had been slow to withdraw support from Hosni Mubarak in Egypt earlier that year when crowds gathered in Tahrir Square. When civil strife broke out in Libya, Obama was equally reluctant to get involved, finally opting to “lead from behind” in the international effort to oust Muammar Gaddafi. The situation in Syria promised to be even more complicated and volatile.

Eventually, the Obama administration dipped its toe in the water with two principal programs, one run by the Pentagon, the other covertly by the CIA. The Pentagon’s program was a spectacular failure, with graduates either exiting the program to fight for radical groups the United States disdained or going on to ignominious defeat on the battlefield. This initiative ended in 2015. The CIA program, Timber Sycamore, funnelled billions of dollars of arms and equipment to fighters on the ground in Syria, thanks to Saudi financing and Turkish logistics. This program, too, encountered many difficulties. For instance, arms ended up in the hands of al-Qaeda sympathisers. The United States was also reluctant to go all in for fear of provoking Russia. In 2017, Trump cancelled the program.

Trump or no Trump, the United States faces myriad problems in Syria. Assad has consolidated his position, with the help of Russia and Iran. The Islamic State has been reduced to a beleaguered fiefdom, but religious extremism hasn’t disappeared and a pretty unsavoury group remains in control of Idlib province. The Kurds in the north have established an autonomous region, with US assistance, but the Turkish government considers them a mere extension of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) that it is fighting within its own borders.

The United States can’t expect to influence this state of play in Syria, and certainly not with only 2,000 troops. So, it makes a lot of sense to pull them out. Let the Israelis and Saudis get angry, and let the Russians, Iranians and Turks rejoice. US involvement in Syria — hesitant, misguided, quixotic — has been benighted from the beginning.

Trump recently tweeted in support of his action that the United States must “stop the endless wars.” That makes eminent sense. But don’t be fooled into thinking that Trump actually believes what he tweets. Even as he was making his withdrawal announcement, the president was directing the Pentagon to increase its air strikes on targets in Syria. 
 
More war, not less

It’s ludicrous to paint Donald Trump as a peace president. The man is only selectively anti-war. He just doesn’t like the wars that other presidents started. Trump threatened to use nuclear weapons against North Korea. He considered military options in Venezuela and discussed the potential of a coup with dissident army officers.

But it’s Iran that’s served as the focus of Trump’s most hawkish ambitions. The president hasn’t been content just to unravel the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear agreement that the Obama administration, alongside representatives of several other countries, negotiated with Iran. Nor does Trump want to stop at simply applying another round of economic sanctions against the country. In September, John Bolton asked the Pentagon for military options to strike Iran. “It definitely rattled people,” a former senior White House official said. “People were shocked. It was mind-boggling how cavalier they were about hitting Iran.”

But Trump’s confrontational approach to Iran preceded the brashness of Bolton, who has openly advocated regime change in Iran. Shortly after entering the White House, Trump began pushing for the Pentagon to blow up Iranian boats in the Persian Gulf. Mattis, who’d been fired from the Obama administration for his anti-Iranian obsession, thought the plan was ludicrous and never provided the plans Trump wanted.

Countering Iran has been an organising principle of the administration’s foreign policy, from helping the Saudis in Yemen to pressuring countries worldwide not to trade with Tehran. In his recent speech in Cairo, Secretary Pompeo made clear that even with the Syria pullout the administration remains focused on countering Iran, which “has spread its cancerous influence to Yemen, to Iraq, to Syria, and further into Lebanon.”

With Bolton and Pompeo by his side and Mattis departed, Trump may well go with his gut and attack Iran militarily. He’ll be encouraged in this delusion by Israel and Saudi Arabia. He’ll be looking for some way to distract the media and the American public from his disastrous record as president and the multiple investigations into his affairs and policies. He won’t care about the consequences. The forever war in the Middle East is far from over.

 
(John Feffer is the director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies.)

(This article was originally published on The Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/trump-us-withdrawal-syria-kurds-isis-middle-east-security-news-51621/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By John Feffer Donald Trump wants to pull US troops out of Syria as quickly as possible. Well, that’s what the president wants now. Tomorrow, who knows, maybe he’ll insist that Syria pay for the pullout.

By John Feffer Donald Trump wants to pull US troops out of Syria as quickly as possible. Well, that’s what the president wants now. Tomorrow, who knows, maybe he’ll insist that Syria pay for the pullout. Maybe Trump will decide to hold a summit with Bashar al-Assad after deciding that the Syrian leader’s not such a bad guy after all, since he also doesn’t like the Islamic State and owes his position to Russian support. Maybe Trump will team up with Turkey to build a wall around Syria because “if we stop them over there, we won’t fight them over here.” With Trump, all options seem to be in play, and it all depends on what Fox News covers, what the last autocrat or three-star general whispered in his ear, and whether the president’s spleen is acting up or not. The opinions of his own advisors or the foreign policy commissariat seem to matter little. If anything, Trump delights in confounding the experts. After all, he believes himself to be the expert-in-chief. Foreign policymaking in the Trump era is a lot like curling. Trump lets loose the stone and then the other members of the team start sweeping at the ice in an attempt to alter the trajectory. Sometimes Trump throws in the general direction of the target. Sometimes his aim is so errant that there’s nothing the sweepers can do. So, after Trump tweeted his new Syria policy, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went into action to alter its trajectory. In an attempt to placate allies aghast at Trump’s decision, Bolton put so many conditions on the pull-out as to seem to render the announcement null and void. Pompeo similarly tried to assure Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and the Gulf States that US policy remains steady: defeat the Islamic State, shut out Iran. This cavalcade of caveats accomplished little more than to confuse allies and mystify observers. Bolton angered Recep Tayyip Erdoğan so much with his remarks about continued US support for Syrian Kurds that the Turkish president refused to meet with the national security adviser when he visited Ankara this month. A prominent pro-government newspaper decried Bolton’s “soft coup against Trump.” Trump has subsequently changed his mind about Syria, somewhat, but it wasn’t at the behest of Bolton or Pompeo. The president was persuaded to go slow on the withdrawal when he received a briefing in Iraq from a lieutenant general who explained that the military needed more time to wrap up operations in Syria. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had probably said the same thing to Trump. He resigned when the president ignored his advice. Mattis had disagreed one too many times with the president and thus undermined his authority. With Trump, proximity breeds contempt. Trump originally demanded that troops withdraw in 30 days. Now, the Pentagon has four months to redeploy the couple thousand troops. The rush to the exit will be more like a covert crawl. And they won’t likely be going very far. The latest reports suggest that the redeployed soldiers are heading for Iraq, to bases in Kirkuk and Anbar. A history of ambivalence Trump has been roundly criticised for the incoherence of his policy toward Syria. But let’s face it, Washington has never figured out how to deal with the country — its ruthless leader, its fragmented opposition, its breakaway Kurds, its covetous neighbours — since the Arab Spring protests broke out in 2011. At the very outset, the Obama administration hesitated to throw its support behind pro-democracy demonstrators and was even more ambivalent about intervening militarily when the demonstrators chose to take up arms. This was not surprising. Obama had been slow to withdraw support from Hosni Mubarak in Egypt earlier that year when crowds gathered in Tahrir Square. When civil strife broke out in Libya, Obama was equally reluctant to get involved, finally opting to “lead from behind” in the international effort to oust Muammar Gaddafi. The situation in Syria promised to be even more complicated and volatile. Eventually, the Obama administration dipped its toe in the water with two principal programs, one run by the Pentagon, the other covertly by the CIA. The Pentagon’s program was a spectacular failure, with graduates either exiting the program to fight for radical groups the United States disdained or going on to ignominious defeat on the battlefield. This initiative ended in 2015. The CIA program, Timber Sycamore, funnelled billions of dollars of arms and equipment to fighters on the ground in Syria, thanks to Saudi financing and Turkish logistics. This program, too, encountered many difficulties. For instance, arms ended up in the hands of al-Qaeda sympathisers. The United States was also reluctant to go all in for fear of provoking Russia. In 2017, Trump cancelled the program. Trump or no Trump, the United States faces myriad problems in Syria. Assad has consolidated his position, with the help of Russia and Iran. The Islamic State has been reduced to a beleaguered fiefdom, but religious extremism hasn’t disappeared and a pretty unsavoury group remains in control of Idlib province. The Kurds in the north have established an autonomous region, with US assistance, but the Turkish government considers them a mere extension of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) that it is fighting within its own borders. The United States can’t expect to influence this state of play in Syria, and certainly not with only 2,000 troops. So, it makes a lot of sense to pull them out. Let the Israelis and Saudis get angry, and let the Russians, Iranians and Turks rejoice. US involvement in Syria — hesitant, misguided, quixotic — has been benighted from the beginning. Trump recently tweeted in support of his action that the United States must “stop the endless wars.” That makes eminent sense. But don’t be fooled into thinking that Trump actually believes what he tweets. Even as he was making his withdrawal announcement, the president was directing the Pentagon to increase its air strikes on targets in Syria. More war, not less It’s ludicrous to paint Donald Trump as a peace president. The man is only selectively anti-war. He just doesn’t like the wars that other presidents started. Trump threatened to use nuclear weapons against North Korea. He considered military options in Venezuela and discussed the potential of a coup with dissident army officers. But it’s Iran that’s served as the focus of Trump’s most hawkish ambitions. The president hasn’t been content just to unravel the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear agreement that the Obama administration, alongside representatives of several other countries, negotiated with Iran. Nor does Trump want to stop at simply applying another round of economic sanctions against the country. In September, John Bolton asked the Pentagon for military options to strike Iran. “It definitely rattled people,” a former senior White House official said. “People were shocked. It was mind-boggling how cavalier they were about hitting Iran.” But Trump’s confrontational approach to Iran preceded the brashness of Bolton, who has openly advocated regime change in Iran. Shortly after entering the White House, Trump began pushing for the Pentagon to blow up Iranian boats in the Persian Gulf. Mattis, who’d been fired from the Obama administration for his anti-Iranian obsession, thought the plan was ludicrous and never provided the plans Trump wanted. Countering Iran has been an organising principle of the administration’s foreign policy, from helping the Saudis in Yemen to pressuring countries worldwide not to trade with Tehran. In his recent speech in Cairo, Secretary Pompeo made clear that even with the Syria pullout the administration remains focused on countering Iran, which “has spread its cancerous influence to Yemen, to Iraq, to Syria, and further into Lebanon.” With Bolton and Pompeo by his side and Mattis departed, Trump may well go with his gut and attack Iran militarily. He’ll be encouraged in this delusion by Israel and Saudi Arabia. He’ll be looking for some way to distract the media and the American public from his disastrous record as president and the multiple investigations into his affairs and policies. He won’t care about the consequences. The forever war in the Middle East is far from over. (John Feffer is the director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies.) (This article was originally published on The Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The forever war in the Middle East is far from over

Syrian military air defences destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs during <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-says-it-has-again-hit-iranian-targets-in-syria-191685">Israeli air strikes</a> on Sunday, Russia`s defence control centre was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.&nbsp;

Israeli air strikes targeting an airport in southeastern Damascus killed four Syrian soldiers and wounded six, the military centre was quoted by RIA news agency as saying on Monday.&nbsp;

Syrian military air defences destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs during Israeli air strikes on Sunday, Russia`s defence control centre was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

Syrian military air defences destroyed more than 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs during Israeli air strikes on Sunday, Russia`s defence control centre was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying. Israeli air strikes targeting an airport in southeastern Damascus killed four Syrian soldiers and wounded six, the military centre was quoted by RIA news agency as saying on Monday.

Syria shot down over 30 cruise missiles, guided bombs fired by Israel: Ifax

Gravitas: Israeli military strikes Iranian targets in Syria

Israel's military said it carried out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours before.

It said in a statement it was "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/will-keep-military-forces-in-syria-despite-israeli-threats-says-iran-190763">currently striking</a>" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces".

It provided no further details on the raids.

Israel's military said on Sunday its air defence systems intercepted a rocket fired from Syria, after Damascus accused Israel of carrying out air raids in the country's south.

As Israel announced its strikes early Monday, Syrian state news agency SANA said its country's air-defence systems had targeted "enemy" fire.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported Israeli missile strikes in the area of the Damascus airport and areas around the capital.

It said the missiles hit apparent Iranian and Hezbollah arms depots.

Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

It has carried out hundreds of air strikes there against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia.

Israel rarely publicly confirms its strikes in Syria.

Its fighter planes have faced anti-aircraft fire during such raids, but Israeli media reported that Sunday's response included a surface-to-surface missile from Syria.

Israel's military said only that it had intercepted a rocket fired at the northern Golan Heights.

'Permanent policy' 
On Sunday, SANA quoted a military source saying Syria's air defences went into action after Israel earlier in the day launched air strikes on the south of the country.

The Russian army said Syrian air defences destroyed seven Israeli projectiles, after four of the Jewish state's F-16 military planes "fired rockets into Syrian territory".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Sunday that "we have a permanent policy: to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us."

Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been speaking more openly about the Syria strikes in recent days, with some analysts saying the premier seems to want to further burnish his security credentials ahead of April 9 elections.

But Israel also risks an escalation with Syria and Iran, as well as possibly further angering Russia.

Military coordination between Israel and Russia took a hit after a friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli strike.

The incident angered Russia and complicated Israel's operations in Syria, particularly after Moscow's delivery of the advanced S-300 air defence system there in response.

Israel has sought to keep its coordination with Russia on track and maintain its ability to strike in Syria.

On Thursday, Israeli military officials concluded a series of talks with their Russian counterparts aimed at improving coordination in the war-torn country.

Both Russia and Iran are backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in his country's civil war.

Israel's military said it carried out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours before. It said in a statement it was "currently striking" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces".

Israel's military said it carried out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours before. It said in a statement it was "currently striking" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces". It provided no further details on the raids. Israel's military said on Sunday its air defence systems intercepted a rocket fired from Syria, after Damascus accused Israel of carrying out air raids in the country's south. As Israel announced its strikes early Monday, Syrian state news agency SANA said its country's air-defence systems had targeted "enemy" fire. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported Israeli missile strikes in the area of the Damascus airport and areas around the capital. It said the missiles hit apparent Iranian and Hezbollah arms depots. Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria. It has carried out hundreds of air strikes there against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Tehran-backed Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia. Israel rarely publicly confirms its strikes in Syria. Its fighter planes have faced anti-aircraft fire during such raids, but Israeli media reported that Sunday's response included a surface-to-surface missile from Syria. Israel's military said only that it had intercepted a rocket fired at the northern Golan Heights. 'Permanent policy' On Sunday, SANA quoted a military source saying Syria's air defences went into action after Israel earlier in the day launched air strikes on the south of the country. The Russian army said Syrian air defences destroyed seven Israeli projectiles, after four of the Jewish state's F-16 military planes "fired rockets into Syrian territory". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Sunday that "we have a permanent policy: to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us." Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been speaking more openly about the Syria strikes in recent days, with some analysts saying the premier seems to want to further burnish his security credentials ahead of April 9 elections. But Israel also risks an escalation with Syria and Iran, as well as possibly further angering Russia. Military coordination between Israel and Russia took a hit after a friendly fire incident in September that led to a Russian plane being downed by Syrian air defences during an Israeli strike. The incident angered Russia and complicated Israel's operations in Syria, particularly after Moscow's delivery of the advanced S-300 air defence system there in response. Israel has sought to keep its coordination with Russia on track and maintain its ability to strike in Syria. On Thursday, Israeli military officials concluded a series of talks with their Russian counterparts aimed at improving coordination in the war-torn country. Both Russia and Iran are backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in his country's civil war.

Israel says it has again hit Iranian targets in Syria

The United States has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-is-sand-and-death-trump-says-187966">no plan for Syria</a> as it proceeds with President Donald Trump's order to pull American troops out of the country, a top official who quit in protest at the policy said on Sunday.

Brett McGurk, who was America's envoy to the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State group, said "there's no plan for what's coming next" and this is increasing the risk to US forces.

He spoke in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation," after a suicide bomber on Wednesday killed four Americans and 15 others in the northern Syrian town of Manbij. It was the deadliest attack to hit US troops since they deployed to Syria in 2014 to assist local forces against the Islamic State group.&nbsp;

The bombing came after Trump's announcement last month that he was ordering a full withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops from Syria, shocking allies and leading to the resignations of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as well as McGurk.

Senior US officials have since given contradictory statements about US intentions, but the Pentagon said it had begun the withdrawal, although how long it would take remained uncertain.

"The president has made that clear -- we are leaving. And that means our force should be really with one mission: to get out and get out safely," McGurk told "Face the Nation."

But he added: "Right now we do not have a plan. It increases a vulnerability of our force... It is increasing the risk to our people on the ground in Syria and will open up space for ISIS," another acronym for IS.

Most importantly, said McGurk, the US cannot expect "a partner" such as NATO-ally Turkey to take the place of the United States.

"That is not realistic. And if our forces are under order to withdraw, as at the same time they are trying to find some formula for another coalition partner to come in, that is not workable. That is not a viable plan."

Trump announced the US withdrawal because, he said, IS had been defeated -- something McGurk and other experts dispute.

McGurk has previously warned that the US pullout would shore up Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and lessen America's leverage with Russia and Iran.

The United States has no plan for Syria as it proceeds with President Donald Trump's order to pull American troops out of the country, a top official who quit in protest at the policy said on Sunday.

The United States has no plan for Syria as it proceeds with President Donald Trump's order to pull American troops out of the country, a top official who quit in protest at the policy said on Sunday. Brett McGurk, who was America's envoy to the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State group, said "there's no plan for what's coming next" and this is increasing the risk to US forces. He spoke in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation," after a suicide bomber on Wednesday killed four Americans and 15 others in the northern Syrian town of Manbij. It was the deadliest attack to hit US troops since they deployed to Syria in 2014 to assist local forces against the Islamic State group. The bombing came after Trump's announcement last month that he was ordering a full withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops from Syria, shocking allies and leading to the resignations of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as well as McGurk. Senior US officials have since given contradictory statements about US intentions, but the Pentagon said it had begun the withdrawal, although how long it would take remained uncertain. "The president has made that clear -- we are leaving. And that means our force should be really with one mission: to get out and get out safely," McGurk told "Face the Nation." But he added: "Right now we do not have a plan. It increases a vulnerability of our force... It is increasing the risk to our people on the ground in Syria and will open up space for ISIS," another acronym for IS. Most importantly, said McGurk, the US cannot expect "a partner" such as NATO-ally Turkey to take the place of the United States. "That is not realistic. And if our forces are under order to withdraw, as at the same time they are trying to find some formula for another coalition partner to come in, that is not workable. That is not a viable plan." Trump announced the US withdrawal because, he said, IS had been defeated -- something McGurk and other experts dispute. McGurk has previously warned that the US pullout would shore up Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and lessen America's leverage with Russia and Iran.

America has 'no plan' as it pulls out of Syria: Ex-US envoy

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have captured two Islamic State militants of American nationality, according to a statement dated earlier this month that was sent to media on Saturday.

In the statement dated January 6, 2019, the US-backed SDF alliance, led by the Kurdish YPG militia, said the pair were captured during operations against Islamic State in Deir al-Zor province along with two Pakistanis and an Irish citizen.

On Thursday, the SDF vowed to ramp up attacks on Islamic State remnants and cells, a day after a bomb attack killed four Americans in northern Syria.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have captured two Islamic State militants of American nationality, according to a statement dated earlier this month that was sent to media on Saturday.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have captured two Islamic State militants of American nationality, according to a statement dated earlier this month that was sent to media on Saturday. In the statement dated January 6, 2019, the US-backed SDF alliance, led by the Kurdish YPG militia, said the pair were captured during operations against Islamic State in Deir al-Zor province along with two Pakistanis and an Irish citizen. On Thursday, the SDF vowed to ramp up attacks on Islamic State remnants and cells, a day after a bomb attack killed four Americans in northern Syria.

Syria's SDF says it captured two Islamic State militants of American nationality

President Donald Trump's decision to pull US troops from Syria was made without deliberation, left allies "bewildered" and has rejuvenated the Islamic State group, the official formerly in charge of fighting the jihadists said Friday.

Brett McGurk, who quit as America's envoy to the anti-IS coalition after Trump declared victory over the group last month, warned a US withdrawal would shore up President Bashar al-Assad and lessen America's leverage with Russia and Iran.

And "the Islamic State and other extremist groups will fill the void opened by our departure, regenerating their capacity to threaten our friends in Europe —- as they did throughout 2016 —- and ultimately our own homeland," McGurk wrote in an opinion piece in The Washington Post.

McGurk, a Barack Obama-era appointee whom Trump kept on, said he was in the US embassy in Baghdad on December 17 when he got an urgent call from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informing him of Trump's decision.

Two days later, Trump tweeted, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria."

"But that was not true, and we have continued to conduct airstrikes against the Islamic State," McGurk said.

The decision came just days after National Security Advisor John Bolton had suggested an indefinite US troop presence in Syria, and as McGurk and then defense secretary Jim Mattis met coalition partners to confirm commitments for at least the next year.

"My counterparts in coalition capitals were bewildered," McGurk said.&nbsp;

"The president's decision to leave Syria was made without deliberation, consultation with allies or Congress, assessment of risk, or appreciation of facts."

Mattis quit after Trump's decision.

Female sailor killed

McGurk said Trump had made his decision after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had said Istanbul would lead the fight against IS remnants in Syria.&nbsp;

But Turkey has also vowed to take action against US-backed Syrian Kurds who have conducted the fight against IS and lost thousands of troops as they slowly wrested territory from the jihadists.&nbsp;

"The irony is that defeating the Islamic State is what the president said from the beginning was his goal," McGurk said.&nbsp;

"His recent choices, unfortunately, are already giving the Islamic State -- and other American adversaries -- new life."

Just one month after Trump declared victory over IS, the jihadists claimed responsibility for a brutal attack in Syria this week.

Four Americans, including two services personnel, were among those killed when a suicide bomber hit a restaurant in the key city of Manbij in Syria's north -- the deadliest attack against US forces since they first deployed in the war-torn nation four years ago.

The Pentagon on Friday identified three of those killed.&nbsp;

Among them was Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician Shannon Kent of New York. Her death marked the first time a female US service member was killed in Syria.

President Donald Trump's decision to pull US troops from Syria was made without deliberation, left allies "bewildered" and has rejuvenated the Islamic State group, the official formerly in charge of fighting the jihadists said Friday.

President Donald Trump's decision to pull US troops from Syria was made without deliberation, left allies "bewildered" and has rejuvenated the Islamic State group, the official formerly in charge of fighting the jihadists said Friday. Brett McGurk, who quit as America's envoy to the anti-IS coalition after Trump declared victory over the group last month, warned a US withdrawal would shore up President Bashar al-Assad and lessen America's leverage with Russia and Iran. And "the Islamic State and other extremist groups will fill the void opened by our departure, regenerating their capacity to threaten our friends in Europe —- as they did throughout 2016 —- and ultimately our own homeland," McGurk wrote in an opinion piece in The Washington Post. McGurk, a Barack Obama-era appointee whom Trump kept on, said he was in the US embassy in Baghdad on December 17 when he got an urgent call from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informing him of Trump's decision. Two days later, Trump tweeted, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria." "But that was not true, and we have continued to conduct airstrikes against the Islamic State," McGurk said. The decision came just days after National Security Advisor John Bolton had suggested an indefinite US troop presence in Syria, and as McGurk and then defense secretary Jim Mattis met coalition partners to confirm commitments for at least the next year. "My counterparts in coalition capitals were bewildered," McGurk said. "The president's decision to leave Syria was made without deliberation, consultation with allies or Congress, assessment of risk, or appreciation of facts." Mattis quit after Trump's decision. Female sailor killed McGurk said Trump had made his decision after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had said Istanbul would lead the fight against IS remnants in Syria. But Turkey has also vowed to take action against US-backed Syrian Kurds who have conducted the fight against IS and lost thousands of troops as they slowly wrested territory from the jihadists. "The irony is that defeating the Islamic State is what the president said from the beginning was his goal," McGurk said. "His recent choices, unfortunately, are already giving the Islamic State -- and other American adversaries -- new life." Just one month after Trump declared victory over IS, the jihadists claimed responsibility for a brutal attack in Syria this week. Four Americans, including two services personnel, were among those killed when a suicide bomber hit a restaurant in the key city of Manbij in Syria's north -- the deadliest attack against US forces since they first deployed in the war-torn nation four years ago. The Pentagon on Friday identified three of those killed. Among them was Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician Shannon Kent of New York. Her death marked the first time a female US service member was killed in Syria.

Trump giving 'new life' to IS, former envoy says

A bomb attack claimed by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-15-dead-in-suicide-attack-targeting-us-led-coalition-in-syria-190785">Islamic State killed US troops</a> in northern Syria on Wednesday, weeks after President Donald Trump said group was defeated there and he would pull out all American forces.

A US official who declined to be named said four US troops had been killed and three wounded in the blast, which an Islamic State-affiliated site said was the work of a suicide bomber. Others said only two had been killed.

The US-led coalition fighting the Islamist militant group said that "US service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol", and that it was still gathering details.

The attack, which took place in the town of Manbij, controlled by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, appears to be the deadliest on US&nbsp;forces in Syria since they deployed on the ground there in 2015.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said that only two US troops had previously been killed in action in Syria. There were two additional non-combat fatalities.

Last month, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he would withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria after concluding that Islamic State had been defeated there.

The announcement helped trigger the resignation of his defence secretary, Jim Mattis, stunned allies and raised fears of a long-threatened Turkish military offensive against US-backed Kurdish forces in northern Syria.

RESTAURANT ATTACKED

A witness in the city said the attack had targeted a restaurant where US personnel were meeting members of the local militia that Washington backs there.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said 16 people had been killed in all, including two Americans. A militia source in north Syria also said two US troops had been killed.

Islamic State later put out a statement saying a Syrian fighter had detonated his explosive vest on a foreign patrol in Manbij.

Two witnesses described the blast to Reuters.

"An explosion hit near a restaurant, targeting the Americans, and there were some forces from the Manbij Military Council with them," one said.

The Manbij Military Council militia has controlled the town since US-backed Kurdish-led forces took it from Islamic State in 2016. It is located near areas held by Russian-backed Syrian government forces and by anti-Assad fighters backed by Turkey.

One of the witnesses said there was a "heavy" presence of military aircraft over Manbij following the blast, which took place near a vegetable market.

Photographs on a local Kurdish news site, which Reuters could not verify, showed two mutilated bodies, several other bodies lying on the ground with people gathered around them, damage to a building and vehicles, and blood smears on a wall.

It was unclear whether the attack might influence Trump’s decision to give more time for the US withdrawal, a conflict he has tired of and described as “sand and death”.

A bomb attack claimed by Islamic State killed US troops in northern Syria on Wednesday, weeks after President Donald Trump said group was defeated there and he would pull out all American forces.

A bomb attack claimed by Islamic State killed US troops in northern Syria on Wednesday, weeks after President Donald Trump said group was defeated there and he would pull out all American forces. A US official who declined to be named said four US troops had been killed and three wounded in the blast, which an Islamic State-affiliated site said was the work of a suicide bomber. Others said only two had been killed. The US-led coalition fighting the Islamist militant group said that "US service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol", and that it was still gathering details. The attack, which took place in the town of Manbij, controlled by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, appears to be the deadliest on US forces in Syria since they deployed on the ground there in 2015. A Pentagon spokeswoman said that only two US troops had previously been killed in action in Syria. There were two additional non-combat fatalities. Last month, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he would withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria after concluding that Islamic State had been defeated there. The announcement helped trigger the resignation of his defence secretary, Jim Mattis, stunned allies and raised fears of a long-threatened Turkish military offensive against US-backed Kurdish forces in northern Syria. RESTAURANT ATTACKED A witness in the city said the attack had targeted a restaurant where US personnel were meeting members of the local militia that Washington backs there. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said 16 people had been killed in all, including two Americans. A militia source in north Syria also said two US troops had been killed. Islamic State later put out a statement saying a Syrian fighter had detonated his explosive vest on a foreign patrol in Manbij. Two witnesses described the blast to Reuters. "An explosion hit near a restaurant, targeting the Americans, and there were some forces from the Manbij Military Council with them," one said. The Manbij Military Council militia has controlled the town since US-backed Kurdish-led forces took it from Islamic State in 2016. It is located near areas held by Russian-backed Syrian government forces and by anti-Assad fighters backed by Turkey. One of the witnesses said there was a "heavy" presence of military aircraft over Manbij following the blast, which took place near a vegetable market. Photographs on a local Kurdish news site, which Reuters could not verify, showed two mutilated bodies, several other bodies lying on the ground with people gathered around them, damage to a building and vehicles, and blood smears on a wall. It was unclear whether the attack might influence Trump’s decision to give more time for the US withdrawal, a conflict he has tired of and described as “sand and death”.

Four US troops reported among 16 dead in north Syria attack

A suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State group killed 15 people including a US serviceman Wednesday in the northern Syrian city of Manbij near the Turkish border, a monitor said.

Nine civilians and five US-backed fighters were among the dead in the attack on a restaurant in the flashpoint city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Rubble littered the outside of the eatery in the city centre, footage from a Kurdish news agency showed, and its facade was blackened by the blast.

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, said it was the first such suicide attack in the city against the US-led coalition fighting IS in 10 months.

The bombing came as Kurds who control a large swathe of northern Syria rejected a Turkish plan to set up a "security zone" on the Syrian side of the border.

Almost eight years into Syria's civil war, Turkey has repeatedly threatened to attack Syrian Kurdish fighters it views as "terrorists" on its southern flank.

Washington, which has relied heavily on the Kurds in its campaign against IS in Syria, has sought guarantees for their safety after President Donald Trump suddenly announced a US troop pullout last month.

On Tuesday, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would set up a "security zone" in northern Syria following a suggestion by Trump.

The planned buffer would embrace a large swathe of the autonomous region the Kurds have established in northern and northeastern Syria.

Senior Kurdish political leader Aldar Khalil said any Turkish deployment in Kurdish-held areas was "unacceptable".

'Safe zone'

He said the Kurds would accept the deployment of UN forces along a separation line between Kurdish fighters and Turkish troops to ward off the threatened offensive.

But "other choices are unacceptable as they infringe on the sovereignty of Syria and the sovereignty of our autonomous region," Khalil told AFP.

Ankara has welcomed Washington's planned withdrawal of some 2,000 US troops from Syria but the future of US-backed Kurdish fighters has poisoned relations between the NATO allies.

On Monday, Erdogan had a telephone conversation with Trump to ease tensions after the US leader threatened to "devastate" the Turkish economy if Ankara attacks Kurdish forces in Syria, and called for a "safe zone".

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have been the key US ally in the fight against IS.

They have taken heavy losses in a campaign now nearing its conclusion, with the jihadists confined to an ever-shrinking enclave of just 15 square kilometres (under six square miles).

The shock announcement of a US withdrawal has sent the Kurds scrambling to seek a new ally in Damascus, which has long rejected Kurdish self-rule.

With military backing from Russia since 2015, President Bashar al-Assad's government has made huge gains against the jihadists and rebels, and now controls almost two-thirds of the country.

A northwestern enclave held by jihadists and pockets held by Turkish troops and their allies remain beyond its reach, along with the much larger Kurdish region.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Syrian government must take control of the north.

"The best and only solution is the transfer of these territories under the control of the Syrian government, and of Syrian security forces and administrative structures," Lavrov said.&nbsp;

'US clarification'

The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, another key ally of the Damascus regime, said it would not withdraw any forces from Syria, dismissing Israel threats.&nbsp;

Erdogan said he had a "quite positive" telephone conversation with Trump late on Monday in which he reaffirmed that "a 20-mile (30 kilometre) security zone along the Syrian border... will be set up by us."

The Syrian Kurdish leader said Turkey was the wrong choice to oversee the mooted "security zone".

"Trump wants to implement these safe regions through cooperation with Turkey. But any role for Turkey will upset the balance and the region will not be safe," Khalil said.

The Turkish army has launched two major operations in Syria -- in 2016 against IS jihadists and Syrian Kurdish fighters, and in 2018 targeting the Kurds.&nbsp;

The last offensive saw Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies overrun the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in the northwest, one of several the Kurds had governed since 2012.

Critics have accused Turkish troops and their proxies of military occupation of Syrian sovereign territory.

Ankara has spoken of a YPG-free "security zone" under its control, but it is not clear if Washington has the same details in mind.

Analyst Mutlu Civiroglu said it was not immediately clear what the US president meant by a "safe zone", or who he thought would patrol it.

Analysts were "waiting for a clarification from Washington to see what the president really meant", he told AFP.

A suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State group killed 15 people including a US serviceman Wednesday in the northern Syrian city of Manbij near the Turkish border, a monitor said.

A suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State group killed 15 people including a US serviceman Wednesday in the northern Syrian city of Manbij near the Turkish border, a monitor said. Nine civilians and five US-backed fighters were among the dead in the attack on a restaurant in the flashpoint city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Rubble littered the outside of the eatery in the city centre, footage from a Kurdish news agency showed, and its facade was blackened by the blast. The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, said it was the first such suicide attack in the city against the US-led coalition fighting IS in 10 months. The bombing came as Kurds who control a large swathe of northern Syria rejected a Turkish plan to set up a "security zone" on the Syrian side of the border. Almost eight years into Syria's civil war, Turkey has repeatedly threatened to attack Syrian Kurdish fighters it views as "terrorists" on its southern flank. Washington, which has relied heavily on the Kurds in its campaign against IS in Syria, has sought guarantees for their safety after President Donald Trump suddenly announced a US troop pullout last month. On Tuesday, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would set up a "security zone" in northern Syria following a suggestion by Trump. The planned buffer would embrace a large swathe of the autonomous region the Kurds have established in northern and northeastern Syria. Senior Kurdish political leader Aldar Khalil said any Turkish deployment in Kurdish-held areas was "unacceptable". 'Safe zone' He said the Kurds would accept the deployment of UN forces along a separation line between Kurdish fighters and Turkish troops to ward off the threatened offensive. But "other choices are unacceptable as they infringe on the sovereignty of Syria and the sovereignty of our autonomous region," Khalil told AFP. Ankara has welcomed Washington's planned withdrawal of some 2,000 US troops from Syria but the future of US-backed Kurdish fighters has poisoned relations between the NATO allies. On Monday, Erdogan had a telephone conversation with Trump to ease tensions after the US leader threatened to "devastate" the Turkish economy if Ankara attacks Kurdish forces in Syria, and called for a "safe zone". The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have been the key US ally in the fight against IS. They have taken heavy losses in a campaign now nearing its conclusion, with the jihadists confined to an ever-shrinking enclave of just 15 square kilometres (under six square miles). The shock announcement of a US withdrawal has sent the Kurds scrambling to seek a new ally in Damascus, which has long rejected Kurdish self-rule. With military backing from Russia since 2015, President Bashar al-Assad's government has made huge gains against the jihadists and rebels, and now controls almost two-thirds of the country. A northwestern enclave held by jihadists and pockets held by Turkish troops and their allies remain beyond its reach, along with the much larger Kurdish region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Syrian government must take control of the north. "The best and only solution is the transfer of these territories under the control of the Syrian government, and of Syrian security forces and administrative structures," Lavrov said. 'US clarification' The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, another key ally of the Damascus regime, said it would not withdraw any forces from Syria, dismissing Israel threats. Erdogan said he had a "quite positive" telephone conversation with Trump late on Monday in which he reaffirmed that "a 20-mile (30 kilometre) security zone along the Syrian border... will be set up by us." The Syrian Kurdish leader said Turkey was the wrong choice to oversee the mooted "security zone". "Trump wants to implement these safe regions through cooperation with Turkey. But any role for Turkey will upset the balance and the region will not be safe," Khalil said. The Turkish army has launched two major operations in Syria -- in 2016 against IS jihadists and Syrian Kurdish fighters, and in 2018 targeting the Kurds. The last offensive saw Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies overrun the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in the northwest, one of several the Kurds had governed since 2012. Critics have accused Turkish troops and their proxies of military occupation of Syrian sovereign territory. Ankara has spoken of a YPG-free "security zone" under its control, but it is not clear if Washington has the same details in mind. Analyst Mutlu Civiroglu said it was not immediately clear what the US president meant by a "safe zone", or who he thought would patrol it. Analysts were "waiting for a clarification from Washington to see what the president really meant", he told AFP.

At least 15 dead in suicide attack targeting US-led coalition in Syria

Iran will keep military forces in Syria, the head of the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday, defying <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahu-tells-iran-to-get-out-of-syria-fast-or-face-continued-attacks-190478">Israeli threats</a> that they might be targeted if they do not leave the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israeli forces would continue to attack Iranians in Syria unless they quickly get out of there.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will keep its military advisers, revolutionary forces and its weapons in Syria," Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the Revolutionary Guards top commander, was quoted as saying by the semi-official ISNA news agency. Jafari called Netanyahu's threats "a joke", and warned that the Israeli government "was playing with (a) lion's tail."

"You should be afraid of the day that our precision-guided missiles roar and fall on your head," he said.

Iran and Russia have both backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a seven-year war against rebels and militants, and have sent thousands of soldiers to the country.

Israel, increasingly concerned that its enemy Iran may establish a long-term military presence in neighbouring Syria, says it has carried out more than 200 attacks against Iranian targets in Syria in the last two years.

Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli warplanes carried out an attack on what he called an Iranian arms cache in Syria.

Iran will keep military forces in Syria, the head of the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday, defying Israeli threats that they might be targeted if they do not leave the country.

Iran will keep military forces in Syria, the head of the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday, defying Israeli threats that they might be targeted if they do not leave the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israeli forces would continue to attack Iranians in Syria unless they quickly get out of there. "The Islamic Republic of Iran will keep its military advisers, revolutionary forces and its weapons in Syria," Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the Revolutionary Guards top commander, was quoted as saying by the semi-official ISNA news agency. Jafari called Netanyahu's threats "a joke", and warned that the Israeli government "was playing with (a) lion's tail." "You should be afraid of the day that our precision-guided missiles roar and fall on your head," he said. Iran and Russia have both backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a seven-year war against rebels and militants, and have sent thousands of soldiers to the country. Israel, increasingly concerned that its enemy Iran may establish a long-term military presence in neighbouring Syria, says it has carried out more than 200 attacks against Iranian targets in Syria in the last two years. Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli warplanes carried out an attack on what he called an Iranian arms cache in Syria.

Will keep military forces in Syria despite Israeli threats, says Iran

There’s one thing Turkey and the US can definitely agree on these days: Unreliability is now the bedrock of their relationship. It’s perhaps not surprising when the two powers are led by notably unpredictable men — US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In the latest antagonism, Erdogan’s close adviser, Yasin Aktay, has spoken of the US as a “highly unreliable partner” due to its efforts to safeguard the Syrian Kurdish forces who have partnered with the US in defeating the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

The criticism is a further illustration of the echo chambers in which diplomacy is being conducted at the moment. Far from seeking to reduce friction (the usual role of diplomacy), such statements are part of the new prickly nationalism that is everywhere in the ascendant.

The most glaring dimension of Aktay’s statement is its subjectivity. Trump’s announcement in December 2018 of the US troop withdrawal from Syria really did put America’s Syrian Kurdish allies in potential harm’s way, at the hands of the Turkish army. The recent move to safeguard that ally could be viewed, in fact, as reliability.

But of course, Atkay is speaking from within the echo chamber of Turkish politics. Within that chamber, the US has deserted its NATO ally in favour of a Syrian Kurdish militia with strong ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — a movement within Turkey designated a terrorist organisation.

His assessment discounts the fact that the threat from IS was very real. The US needed local allies on the ground in order to counter it. Indeed, it was a long time before the Turkish government decided to give the fight against the Islamic State the same priority that it gave the fight against Kurdish groups.

Yet the Turkish displeasure with its NATO ally is not all paranoia and blinkered Turkish nationalism. President Trump has been cavalier in his diplomacy within the international body. He has also been transparently shortsighted in his engagement with the Middle East.

In line with his “America First” policies, Trump was quick to single out IS as a grave threat to be addressed, largely because it had the capacity to impact America itself and American lives. Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, have been far less eager to address Syria’s civil war.

From the Turkish viewpoint, this looks a lot like abandonment. The war on its southern frontier has been highly porous. It has deeply impacted Turkey in terms of terrorist atrocities, refugee flows, political destabilisation, economic impact and the very real threat of escalation from the Assad regime’s allies, Russia and Iran. None of this seems to have moved the US greatly.

Every man for himself

The result is a zero-sum environment in which all the key actors have gradually amassed leaders who see the best strategy as entrenchment and national defence. This may have been led by Russian President Vladimir Putin — the past master of such tactics — but it has been a domino effect.

President Erdogan has veered sharply in the same direction ever since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. With the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency in November 2016, the world’s key superpower has followed suit. In the current dispute, the only real losers are likely to be the Kurds.

The Turkish government position has ossified. It cannot easily roll back on its war with the Syrian Kurdish militia now. The US position is more fluid. As President Trump as demonstrated, Washington is quite capable of dropping the Syrian Kurdish militia.

The reason the US government has so far stepped back from leaving the Syrian Kurds at the full mercy of other powers in Syria is not altruism. The Syrian Kurds merely offered the right guns for hire at the right time. But to drop them would hand valuable power to US adversaries.

In the cases of Russia and Iran, that would stick in the craw of the US administration. The irony is, as things stand, the other “adversary” who would clearly benefit is a country — Turkey — that is supposed to be an erstwhile NATO ally and a bulwark in the Middle East.

(Nathaniel Handy is a writer and academic)

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/turkey-us-relations-syrian-kurds-syria-civil-war-islamic-state-world-news-57293/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There’s one thing Turkey and the US can definitely agree on these days: Unreliability is now the bedrock of their relationship. It’s perhaps not surprising when the two powers are led by notably unpredictable men — US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

There’s one thing Turkey and the US can definitely agree on these days: Unreliability is now the bedrock of their relationship. It’s perhaps not surprising when the two powers are led by notably unpredictable men — US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the latest antagonism, Erdogan’s close adviser, Yasin Aktay, has spoken of the US as a “highly unreliable partner” due to its efforts to safeguard the Syrian Kurdish forces who have partnered with the US in defeating the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The criticism is a further illustration of the echo chambers in which diplomacy is being conducted at the moment. Far from seeking to reduce friction (the usual role of diplomacy), such statements are part of the new prickly nationalism that is everywhere in the ascendant. The most glaring dimension of Aktay’s statement is its subjectivity. Trump’s announcement in December 2018 of the US troop withdrawal from Syria really did put America’s Syrian Kurdish allies in potential harm’s way, at the hands of the Turkish army. The recent move to safeguard that ally could be viewed, in fact, as reliability. But of course, Atkay is speaking from within the echo chamber of Turkish politics. Within that chamber, the US has deserted its NATO ally in favour of a Syrian Kurdish militia with strong ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — a movement within Turkey designated a terrorist organisation. His assessment discounts the fact that the threat from IS was very real. The US needed local allies on the ground in order to counter it. Indeed, it was a long time before the Turkish government decided to give the fight against the Islamic State the same priority that it gave the fight against Kurdish groups. Yet the Turkish displeasure with its NATO ally is not all paranoia and blinkered Turkish nationalism. President Trump has been cavalier in his diplomacy within the international body. He has also been transparently shortsighted in his engagement with the Middle East. In line with his “America First” policies, Trump was quick to single out IS as a grave threat to be addressed, largely because it had the capacity to impact America itself and American lives. Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, have been far less eager to address Syria’s civil war. From the Turkish viewpoint, this looks a lot like abandonment. The war on its southern frontier has been highly porous. It has deeply impacted Turkey in terms of terrorist atrocities, refugee flows, political destabilisation, economic impact and the very real threat of escalation from the Assad regime’s allies, Russia and Iran. None of this seems to have moved the US greatly. Every man for himself The result is a zero-sum environment in which all the key actors have gradually amassed leaders who see the best strategy as entrenchment and national defence. This may have been led by Russian President Vladimir Putin — the past master of such tactics — but it has been a domino effect. President Erdogan has veered sharply in the same direction ever since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. With the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency in November 2016, the world’s key superpower has followed suit. In the current dispute, the only real losers are likely to be the Kurds. The Turkish government position has ossified. It cannot easily roll back on its war with the Syrian Kurdish militia now. The US position is more fluid. As President Trump as demonstrated, Washington is quite capable of dropping the Syrian Kurdish militia. The reason the US government has so far stepped back from leaving the Syrian Kurds at the full mercy of other powers in Syria is not altruism. The Syrian Kurds merely offered the right guns for hire at the right time. But to drop them would hand valuable power to US adversaries. In the cases of Russia and Iran, that would stick in the craw of the US administration. The irony is, as things stand, the other “adversary” who would clearly benefit is a country — Turkey — that is supposed to be an erstwhile NATO ally and a bulwark in the Middle East. (Nathaniel Handy is a writer and academic) (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why the US is still losing Turkey

US President Donald Trump was reeling from sharp rebukes at home and abroad over his surprise announcement last month to immediately pull American troops out of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-to-set-up-syria-security-zone-erdogan-190520&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi1nLiw4PHfAhUbEnIKHeBhBYgQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1OVjCx2SvnOLtyPsxBW9mW">Syria </a>when he flew into the al Asad airbase in neighbouring Iraq the day after Christmas.

Inside a canvas Quonset hut, one of the arced prefabricated structures used by the military and surrounded by concertina wire, Trump received operational briefs from US commanders suggesting a territorial victory against Islamic State was within sight, but the military needed just a bit more time, US officials said.

"They were upbeat about their ability to wrap things up," one of the officials told Reuters. "I definitely think that was a seminal meeting" in terms of influencing Trump' thinking.

Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, the commander of the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, explained to a president who had lost patience with the war why too rapid a withdrawal could not be done without putting troops at risk, according to three officials familiar with the briefing, the contents of which have not been reported in such detail.

In the chaotic aftermath of Trump's December 19 announcement, which was one of the reasons that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned, the 45-minute briefing appears to have helped crystallize an understanding between Trump and his top brass on the ground. Trump, in remarks to reporters, admitted that he felt better about the situation after talking to commanders in the theatre instead of officials in Washington.

The briefing also helped win the US military and diplomats some breathing room to plan a more deliberate exit from Syria.

It was a novel experience for the president, who was making his first visit to a war zone in his nearly two years in office, fresh from a political pummelling over his decision on Syria from fellow Republicans in Congress and US allies.&nbsp;

Nearly three weeks after the briefing, no troops have withdrawn from Syria and only some equipment has moved out.

In 2015, then-President Barack Obama first ordered US special operations forces into Syria after long hesitating to deploy "boots on the ground" in the midst of the Syrian civil war. What started off as a mission involving dozens of commandos eventually turned into hundreds and then just kept growing. There are about 2,000 US forces in Syria today.

Although Trump initially announced plans for a speedy pullout, he has since said it does not need to go quickly.&nbsp;

"We are pulling back in Syria, we are going to be removing our troops, I never said we are doing it that quickly," Trump told reporters at the White House on January 6.

In fact, Trump said on December 19 that American troops were coming home and they had already defeated Islamic State in Syria. No experts believe Islamic State has been defeated, despite the group having lost almost all of the territory it held in 2014 and 2015 after seizing parts of Syria and Iraq and declaring a "caliphate."

The Pentagon said on Friday that the withdrawal "is not subject to an arbitrary timeline," and would take into account conditions on the ground and talks with allies.&nbsp;

Trump's concession of additional time has set off an apparent scramble by the US military and Trump administration officials to accomplish as much as possible in the twilight of the Syria campaign.

US officials told Reuters that planning for a complete withdrawal from Syria is still underway, despite confusing and sometimes contradictory statements from the White House and tension with Turkey, which was meant to take over the campaign against Islamic State.&nbsp;

Several officials said they expected a withdrawal before the end of March, but would not commit to a date, given fast-evolving policy discussions and hard-to-predict battlefield developments.

FINAL BLOWS

Privately, some US officials worry the final push will not be enough to preserve hard-won gains against Islamic State or ensure protection for US-backed Kurdish YPG allies who helped in the fight. NATO ally Turkey views Kurdish militia as terrorists, an extension of a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey.

Trump himself acknowledged his concerns for the Kurds on Monday, warning Turkey of "economic devastation" if it attacks a US-allied Kurdish militia in Syria. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he believed Trump was referring to sanctions.

According to US estimates, Islamic State oversaw about 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 square miles) of territory, with about 8 million people under its control. The group had estimated revenues of nearly one billion dollars a year and used its de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria as a base to plot attacks in Europe.

Backed up by US-led coalition airstrikes, artillery and advisers and equipment, US-supported ground forces in Iraq and Syria clawed back towns and cities from the jihadists. Iraq declared victory against the group in 2017.&nbsp;

US military officials are reluctant to predict how quickly Islamic State militants can be vanquished from their final towns in Syria, recalling how the insurgents fought until the death in Mosul, Iraq. The group still influences about 300 square kilometres in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, according to the US-led coalition.

The persistence of the group was one of the reasons that Trump's decision stunned the Pentagon.&nbsp;

But after the initial shock, military and civilians leaders including Mattis met at the Pentagon the week before Christmas to discuss the quickest, safest and most responsible way they could carry out the troop pullout and protect Kurdish allies.

It became clear that a rapid 30-day withdrawal, as initially suggested by the White House, would not meet the criteria of a "safe and responsible" withdrawal. Before Trump's surprise decision, Pentagon planning had suggested four months would be needed.

One source played down Trump's concerns about whether the drawdown would be done in weeks or months.

"All he wants to know is that it is happening," the source said.

Significantly, Mattis&nbsp;order issued before Christmas did not include a specific timeline, although US officials said military commanders told the White House that a safe and responsible drawdown could not be done in less than 120 days. The order has not been changed since Mattis left office on December 31, when his deputy Patrick Shanahan took over, officials said.&nbsp;

In the meantime, the US-backed forces in Syria, including Kurds, are keeping up the fight - confounding analysts predictions that they would rapidly head north to prepare for an offensive by Turkey.

In fact, since Trump's withdrawal announcement, those forces have been fighting Islamic State with support from US-led coalition air strikes and artillery.&nbsp;

US allies, who were caught entirely off-guard by Trump's announcement, are still seeking clarification about the timing of America' exit.&nbsp;

The troop pullout from Syria dominated discussions by Pompeo during his meetings in Amman, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Iraq over the past week, in which he told US allies that withdrawal was a tactical change only.

Allies also want information about any post-withdrawal role by the US military to ensure Islamic State militants do not rise from the ashes of their caliphate, US officials and diplomats said.

But they appear relieved at the apparent slowdown of the pullout.

&nbsp;"It seems that there has been a change that I think is positive," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian of France said last week.

US President Donald Trump was reeling from sharp rebukes at home and abroad over his surprise announcement last month to immediately pull American troops out of Syria when he flew into the al Asad airbase in neighbouring Iraq the day after Christmas.

US President Donald Trump was reeling from sharp rebukes at home and abroad over his surprise announcement last month to immediately pull American troops out of Syria when he flew into the al Asad airbase in neighbouring Iraq the day after Christmas. Inside a canvas Quonset hut, one of the arced prefabricated structures used by the military and surrounded by concertina wire, Trump received operational briefs from US commanders suggesting a territorial victory against Islamic State was within sight, but the military needed just a bit more time, US officials said. "They were upbeat about their ability to wrap things up," one of the officials told Reuters. "I definitely think that was a seminal meeting" in terms of influencing Trump' thinking. Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera, the commander of the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, explained to a president who had lost patience with the war why too rapid a withdrawal could not be done without putting troops at risk, according to three officials familiar with the briefing, the contents of which have not been reported in such detail. In the chaotic aftermath of Trump's December 19 announcement, which was one of the reasons that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned, the 45-minute briefing appears to have helped crystallize an understanding between Trump and his top brass on the ground. Trump, in remarks to reporters, admitted that he felt better about the situation after talking to commanders in the theatre instead of officials in Washington. The briefing also helped win the US military and diplomats some breathing room to plan a more deliberate exit from Syria. It was a novel experience for the president, who was making his first visit to a war zone in his nearly two years in office, fresh from a political pummelling over his decision on Syria from fellow Republicans in Congress and US allies. Nearly three weeks after the briefing, no troops have withdrawn from Syria and only some equipment has moved out. In 2015, then-President Barack Obama first ordered US special operations forces into Syria after long hesitating to deploy "boots on the ground" in the midst of the Syrian civil war. What started off as a mission involving dozens of commandos eventually turned into hundreds and then just kept growing. There are about 2,000 US forces in Syria today. Although Trump initially announced plans for a speedy pullout, he has since said it does not need to go quickly. "We are pulling back in Syria, we are going to be removing our troops, I never said we are doing it that quickly," Trump told reporters at the White House on January 6. In fact, Trump said on December 19 that American troops were coming home and they had already defeated Islamic State in Syria. No experts believe Islamic State has been defeated, despite the group having lost almost all of the territory it held in 2014 and 2015 after seizing parts of Syria and Iraq and declaring a "caliphate." The Pentagon said on Friday that the withdrawal "is not subject to an arbitrary timeline," and would take into account conditions on the ground and talks with allies. Trump's concession of additional time has set off an apparent scramble by the US military and Trump administration officials to accomplish as much as possible in the twilight of the Syria campaign. US officials told Reuters that planning for a complete withdrawal from Syria is still underway, despite confusing and sometimes contradictory statements from the White House and tension with Turkey, which was meant to take over the campaign against Islamic State. Several officials said they expected a withdrawal before the end of March, but would not commit to a date, given fast-evolving policy discussions and hard-to-predict battlefield developments. FINAL BLOWS Privately, some US officials worry the final push will not be enough to preserve hard-won gains against Islamic State or ensure protection for US-backed Kurdish YPG allies who helped in the fight. NATO ally Turkey views Kurdish militia as terrorists, an extension of a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey. Trump himself acknowledged his concerns for the Kurds on Monday, warning Turkey of "economic devastation" if it attacks a US-allied Kurdish militia in Syria. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he believed Trump was referring to sanctions. According to US estimates, Islamic State oversaw about 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 square miles) of territory, with about 8 million people under its control. The group had estimated revenues of nearly one billion dollars a year and used its de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria as a base to plot attacks in Europe. Backed up by US-led coalition airstrikes, artillery and advisers and equipment, US-supported ground forces in Iraq and Syria clawed back towns and cities from the jihadists. Iraq declared victory against the group in 2017. US military officials are reluctant to predict how quickly Islamic State militants can be vanquished from their final towns in Syria, recalling how the insurgents fought until the death in Mosul, Iraq. The group still influences about 300 square kilometres in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, according to the US-led coalition. The persistence of the group was one of the reasons that Trump's decision stunned the Pentagon. But after the initial shock, military and civilians leaders including Mattis met at the Pentagon the week before Christmas to discuss the quickest, safest and most responsible way they could carry out the troop pullout and protect Kurdish allies. It became clear that a rapid 30-day withdrawal, as initially suggested by the White House, would not meet the criteria of a "safe and responsible" withdrawal. Before Trump's surprise decision, Pentagon planning had suggested four months would be needed. One source played down Trump's concerns about whether the drawdown would be done in weeks or months. "All he wants to know is that it is happening," the source said. Significantly, Mattis order issued before Christmas did not include a specific timeline, although US officials said military commanders told the White House that a safe and responsible drawdown could not be done in less than 120 days. The order has not been changed since Mattis left office on December 31, when his deputy Patrick Shanahan took over, officials said. In the meantime, the US-backed forces in Syria, including Kurds, are keeping up the fight - confounding analysts predictions that they would rapidly head north to prepare for an offensive by Turkey. In fact, since Trump's withdrawal announcement, those forces have been fighting Islamic State with support from US-led coalition air strikes and artillery. US allies, who were caught entirely off-guard by Trump's announcement, are still seeking clarification about the timing of America' exit. The troop pullout from Syria dominated discussions by Pompeo during his meetings in Amman, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Iraq over the past week, in which he told US allies that withdrawal was a tactical change only. Allies also want information about any post-withdrawal role by the US military to ensure Islamic State militants do not rise from the ashes of their caliphate, US officials and diplomats said. But they appear relieved at the apparent slowdown of the pullout. "It seems that there has been a change that I think is positive," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian of France said last week.

How Trump slowed rush for Syria exits after huddling in Iraq

US President Donald J Trump’s threat to devastate Turkey’s economy if Turkish troops attack Syrian Kurds, allied with the United States in the wake of the announced withdrawal of American forces, potentially serves his broader goal of letting regional forces fight for common goals like countering Iranian influence in Syria.

Trump’s threat coupled with a call on Turkey to create a 26-kilometre buffer zone to protect Turkey from a perceived Kurdish threat was designed to pre-empt a Turkish strike against the People’s Protection Units (YPG) that Ankara asserts is part of the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), a Turkish group that has waged a low-intensity war in predominantly Kurdish south-eastern Turkey for more than three decades.

Like Turkey, the United States and Europe have designated the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

Turkey has been marshalling forces for an attack on the YPG since Trump’s announced withdrawal of US forces. It would be the third offensive against Syrian Kurds in recent years.

In a sign of strained relations with Saudi Arabia, Turkish media has been reporting, long before the October 2 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, that Saudi Arabia is funding the YPG. There is no independent confirmation of the Turkish allegations.

Yeni Safak reported in 2017, days after the Gulf crisis erupted pitting a Saudi-UAE-Egyptian alliance against Qatar (supported by Turkey), that US, Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian officials had met with the PKK as well as the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which Turkey says is the Syrian political wing of the PKK, to discuss the future of Syrian oil once the Islamic State had been defeated.

Turkey’s semi-official Anadolu Agency reported last May that Saudi and YPG officials had met to discuss cooperation. Saudi Arabia promised to pay Kurdish fighters that joined an Arab-backed force $200 a month, Anadolu said. Saudi Arabia allegedly sent aid to the YPG on trucks that travelled through Iraq to enter Syria.

In August last year, Saudi Arabia announced that it had transferred $100 million to the United States that was earmarked for agriculture, education, roadworks, rubble removal and water service in areas of north-eastern Syria that are controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces of which the YPG is a significant part.

Saudi Arabia said the payment, announced on the day that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the kingdom, was intended to fund stabilization of areas liberated from control by the Islamic State.

Turkish media, however, insisted that the funds would flow to the YPG.

“The delivery of $100 million is considered as the latest move by Saudi Arabia in support of the partnership between the US and YPG. Using the fight against Daesh as a pretext, the US has been cooperating with the YPG in Syria and providing arms support to the group. After Daesh was cleared from the region with the help of the US, the YPG tightened its grip on Syrian soil taking advantage of the power vacuum in the war-torn country,” Daily Sabah said referring to the Islamic State by one of its Arabic acronyms.

Saudi Arabia has refrained from including the YPG and the PKK on its extensive list of terrorist organisations even though then foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir described in 2017 the Turkish organisation as a “terror group.”

Trump's threat and his earlier vow to stand by the Kurds despite the troop withdrawal give Saudi Arabia and other Arab states such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, political cover to support the Kurds as a force against Iran’s presence in Syria.

It also allows the kingdom and the UAE to attempt to thwart Turkish attempts to increase its regional influence. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt have insisted that Turkey must withdraw its troops from Qatar as one of the conditions for the lifting of the 18-month old diplomatic and economic boycott of the Gulf state.

The UAE, determined to squash any expression of political Islam, has long led the autocratic Arab charge against Turkey because of its opposition to the 2013 military coup in Egypt that toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brother and the country’s first and only democratically elected president; Turkey’s close relations with Iran and Turkish support for Qatar and Islamist forces in Libya.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt support General Khalifa Haftar, who commands anti-Islamist forces in eastern Libya while Turkey alongside Qatar and Sudan supports the Islamists.

Libyan and Saudi media reported that authorities had repeatedly intercepted Turkish arms shipments destined for Islamists, including one this month and another last month. Turkey has denied the allegations.

“Simply put, as Qatar has become the go-to financier of the Muslim Brotherhood and its more radical offshoot groups around the globe, Turkey has become their armourer,” said Turkey scholar Michael Rubin.

Ironically, the fact that various Arab states, including the UAE and Bahrain, recently reopened their embassies in Damascus with tacit Saudi approval after having supported forces aligned against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for much of the civil war, like Trump’s threat to devastate the Turkish economy, makes Gulf support for the Kurds more feasible.

Seemingly left in the cold by the US president’s announced withdrawal of American forces, the YPG has sought to forge relations with the Assad regime. In response, Syria has massed troops near the town of Manbij, expected to be the flashpoint of a Turkish offensive.

Commenting on last year’s two-month-long Turkish campaign that removed Kurdish forces from the Syrian town of Afrin and Turkish efforts since to stabilise the region, Gulf scholar Giorgio Cafiero noted that “for the UAE, Afrin represents a frontline in the struggle against Turkish expansionism with respect to the Arab world.”

The same could be said from a Saudi and UAE perspective for Manbij not only with regard to Turkey but also Iran’s presence in Syria. Frontlines and tactics may be shifting, US and Gulf geopolitical goals have not. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

US President Donald J Trump’s threat to devastate Turkey’s economy if Turkish troops attack Syrian Kurds, allied with the United States in the wake of the announced withdrawal of American forces, potentially serves his broader goal of letting regional forces fight for common goals like countering Iranian influence in Syria.

US President Donald J Trump’s threat to devastate Turkey’s economy if Turkish troops attack Syrian Kurds, allied with the United States in the wake of the announced withdrawal of American forces, potentially serves his broader goal of letting regional forces fight for common goals like countering Iranian influence in Syria. Trump’s threat coupled with a call on Turkey to create a 26-kilometre buffer zone to protect Turkey from a perceived Kurdish threat was designed to pre-empt a Turkish strike against the People’s Protection Units (YPG) that Ankara asserts is part of the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), a Turkish group that has waged a low-intensity war in predominantly Kurdish south-eastern Turkey for more than three decades. Like Turkey, the United States and Europe have designated the PKK as a terrorist organisation. Turkey has been marshalling forces for an attack on the YPG since Trump’s announced withdrawal of US forces. It would be the third offensive against Syrian Kurds in recent years. In a sign of strained relations with Saudi Arabia, Turkish media has been reporting, long before the October 2 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, that Saudi Arabia is funding the YPG. There is no independent confirmation of the Turkish allegations. Yeni Safak reported in 2017, days after the Gulf crisis erupted pitting a Saudi-UAE-Egyptian alliance against Qatar (supported by Turkey), that US, Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian officials had met with the PKK as well as the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which Turkey says is the Syrian political wing of the PKK, to discuss the future of Syrian oil once the Islamic State had been defeated. Turkey’s semi-official Anadolu Agency reported last May that Saudi and YPG officials had met to discuss cooperation. Saudi Arabia promised to pay Kurdish fighters that joined an Arab-backed force $200 a month, Anadolu said. Saudi Arabia allegedly sent aid to the YPG on trucks that travelled through Iraq to enter Syria. In August last year, Saudi Arabia announced that it had transferred $100 million to the United States that was earmarked for agriculture, education, roadworks, rubble removal and water service in areas of north-eastern Syria that are controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces of which the YPG is a significant part. Saudi Arabia said the payment, announced on the day that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the kingdom, was intended to fund stabilization of areas liberated from control by the Islamic State. Turkish media, however, insisted that the funds would flow to the YPG. “The delivery of $100 million is considered as the latest move by Saudi Arabia in support of the partnership between the US and YPG. Using the fight against Daesh as a pretext, the US has been cooperating with the YPG in Syria and providing arms support to the group. After Daesh was cleared from the region with the help of the US, the YPG tightened its grip on Syrian soil taking advantage of the power vacuum in the war-torn country,” Daily Sabah said referring to the Islamic State by one of its Arabic acronyms. Saudi Arabia has refrained from including the YPG and the PKK on its extensive list of terrorist organisations even though then foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir described in 2017 the Turkish organisation as a “terror group.” Trump's threat and his earlier vow to stand by the Kurds despite the troop withdrawal give Saudi Arabia and other Arab states such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, political cover to support the Kurds as a force against Iran’s presence in Syria. It also allows the kingdom and the UAE to attempt to thwart Turkish attempts to increase its regional influence. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt have insisted that Turkey must withdraw its troops from Qatar as one of the conditions for the lifting of the 18-month old diplomatic and economic boycott of the Gulf state. The UAE, determined to squash any expression of political Islam, has long led the autocratic Arab charge against Turkey because of its opposition to the 2013 military coup in Egypt that toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brother and the country’s first and only democratically elected president; Turkey’s close relations with Iran and Turkish support for Qatar and Islamist forces in Libya. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt support General Khalifa Haftar, who commands anti-Islamist forces in eastern Libya while Turkey alongside Qatar and Sudan supports the Islamists. Libyan and Saudi media reported that authorities had repeatedly intercepted Turkish arms shipments destined for Islamists, including one this month and another last month. Turkey has denied the allegations. “Simply put, as Qatar has become the go-to financier of the Muslim Brotherhood and its more radical offshoot groups around the globe, Turkey has become their armourer,” said Turkey scholar Michael Rubin. Ironically, the fact that various Arab states, including the UAE and Bahrain, recently reopened their embassies in Damascus with tacit Saudi approval after having supported forces aligned against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for much of the civil war, like Trump’s threat to devastate the Turkish economy, makes Gulf support for the Kurds more feasible. Seemingly left in the cold by the US president’s announced withdrawal of American forces, the YPG has sought to forge relations with the Assad regime. In response, Syria has massed troops near the town of Manbij, expected to be the flashpoint of a Turkish offensive. Commenting on last year’s two-month-long Turkish campaign that removed Kurdish forces from the Syrian town of Afrin and Turkish efforts since to stabilise the region, Gulf scholar Giorgio Cafiero noted that “for the UAE, Afrin represents a frontline in the struggle against Turkish expansionism with respect to the Arab world.” The same could be said from a Saudi and UAE perspective for Manbij not only with regard to Turkey but also Iran’s presence in Syria. Frontlines and tactics may be shifting, US and Gulf geopolitical goals have not. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Syrian Kurds: The new frontline in confronting Iran and Turkey

Turkish President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-will-not-be-intimidated-by-trump-threats-over-kurdish-militia-foreign-ministry-190207">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> said Tuesday that Ankara would set up a "security zone" in northern Syria suggested by US President Donald Trump.

Erdogan said he held a "quite positive" telephone conversation with Trump late on Monday during which he reaffirmed that "a 20-mile (30 kilometres) security zone along the Syrian border... will be set up by us."

Turkey has welcomed the planned withdrawal of some 2,000 US troops from Syria but the future of US-backed Kurdish militia forces regarded as terrorists by Ankara has poisoned Ankara-Washington ties.&nbsp;

Trump on Sunday tweeted that the United States would "devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds", a threat that drew angry retorts from the government in Ankara.

Erdogan on Tuesday said Trump's tweet "saddened me and my friends", but added that the two leaders reached an agreement during Monday's phone conversation.&nbsp;

"We have reached an agreement of understanding that is of historic importance," he said.

Erdogan said Turkey would solve issues with a "spirit of alliance" with Trump as long as his country's sensitivities were taken into account.

US support for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) during the Syria conflict has been a major source of friction between the NATO allies. The US regards the YPG as an effective ground force in the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists.

Ankara has however threatened to launch a cross-border operation to eradicate Syrian Kurdish fighters it sees as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK is blacklisted by Turkey as well as by the United States.&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Ankara would set up a "security zone" in northern Syria suggested by US President Donald Trump. Erdogan said he held a "quite positive" telephone conversation with Trump late on Monday during which he reaffirmed that "a 20-mile (30 kilometres) security zone along the Syrian border.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Ankara would set up a "security zone" in northern Syria suggested by US President Donald Trump. Erdogan said he held a "quite positive" telephone conversation with Trump late on Monday during which he reaffirmed that "a 20-mile (30 kilometres) security zone along the Syrian border... will be set up by us." Turkey has welcomed the planned withdrawal of some 2,000 US troops from Syria but the future of US-backed Kurdish militia forces regarded as terrorists by Ankara has poisoned Ankara-Washington ties. Trump on Sunday tweeted that the United States would "devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds", a threat that drew angry retorts from the government in Ankara. Erdogan on Tuesday said Trump's tweet "saddened me and my friends", but added that the two leaders reached an agreement during Monday's phone conversation. "We have reached an agreement of understanding that is of historic importance," he said. Erdogan said Turkey would solve issues with a "spirit of alliance" with Trump as long as his country's sensitivities were taken into account. US support for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) during the Syria conflict has been a major source of friction between the NATO allies. The US regards the YPG as an effective ground force in the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists. Ankara has however threatened to launch a cross-border operation to eradicate Syrian Kurdish fighters it sees as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK is blacklisted by Turkey as well as by the United States.

Erdogan says Turkey will set up Syria 'security zone' as suggested by Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-video-israels-netanyahu-congratulates-iran-football-team-encourages-protests-against-govt-147536">Netanyahu on Tuesday urged Iran to quickly remove its forces from neighbouring Syria</a> or face continued attacks on them by Israel.

"Yesterday I heard the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman saying 'Iran has no military presence in Syria, we only advise them'," Netanyahu said at a Tel Aviv ceremony to install a new head of Israel's armed forces.

"So let me advise them -- get out of there fast, because we'll continue our forceful policy of attacking, as we promised and are doing, fearlessly and relentlessly," he said.

In a rare public confirmation on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel had attacked what he described as "Iranian warehouses containing Iranian weapons in the Damascus international airport" over the weekend.

Netanyahu added that Israel had attacked Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria hundreds of times.

Israel has pledged to prevent Iran entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where its arch foe is backing President Bashar al-Assad's regime alongside Russia and Hezbollah.

At the ceremony for the new chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Aviv Kochavi, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel's central security challenge was "Iran and its terror emissaries," saying the Israeli military had "prevented the military entrenchment of Iran in Syria."

Tehran denies sending regular troops to fight in Syria, saying it has only provided military advisors and militia fighters from various countries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday urged Iran to quickly remove its forces from neighbouring Syria or face continued attacks on them by Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday urged Iran to quickly remove its forces from neighbouring Syria or face continued attacks on them by Israel. "Yesterday I heard the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman saying 'Iran has no military presence in Syria, we only advise them'," Netanyahu said at a Tel Aviv ceremony to install a new head of Israel's armed forces. "So let me advise them -- get out of there fast, because we'll continue our forceful policy of attacking, as we promised and are doing, fearlessly and relentlessly," he said. In a rare public confirmation on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel had attacked what he described as "Iranian warehouses containing Iranian weapons in the Damascus international airport" over the weekend. Netanyahu added that Israel had attacked Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria hundreds of times. Israel has pledged to prevent Iran entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where its arch foe is backing President Bashar al-Assad's regime alongside Russia and Hezbollah. At the ceremony for the new chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Aviv Kochavi, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel's central security challenge was "Iran and its terror emissaries," saying the Israeli military had "prevented the military entrenchment of Iran in Syria." Tehran denies sending regular troops to fight in Syria, saying it has only provided military advisors and militia fighters from various countries.

Netanyahu tells Iran to get out of Syria 'fast' or face more attacks

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/qatar-says-gulf-alliance-needs-replacing-184365">Qatar's foreign minister</a> ruled out on Monday the possibility of re-opening an embassy in Damascus, in line with some other Gulf countries, calling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a war criminal.

"Normalisation (of relations) with the Syrian regime at this stage is the normalisation of a person involved in war crimes, and this should not be acceptable," said Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at a Doha press conference.

Al-Thani said the reasons why Assad — who was elected unopposed in 2000 and has stayed in power during nearly eight years of civil war — was excluded from the international community are still in place.

He added that Damascus under Assad should not be allowed back into the Arab League — its membership was suspended in 2011 — as "the Syrian people are still under bombardment... by the Syrian regime".

His comments come after Gulf neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced late last month they reopened their Damascus embassies.

The UAE's foreign minister Anwar Gargash tweeted that his country was doing so in part because of the influence of Iran and one of Qatar's strongest allies, Turkey, in Syria.

Tehran has been a staunch supporter of Assad's government and has expanded its military footprint in Syria throughout the course of the conflict.

That move also emphasised the foreign policy differences between the three Gulf states.

For the past 19 months, Qatar has been in a deep diplomatic dispute with the UAE and Bahrain, in part over the direction of Doha's regional foreign policy in recent years.

Qatar has been instrumental in the Syrian civil war supplying weapons to rebel groups, according to institutions such as the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Syria's opposition leader Nasr al-Hariri has pleaded with Arab leaders not to rebuild relation with Assad as his government now controls almost two-thirds of the country following military backing from Russia and Iran.

'Normalisation (of relations) with the Syrian regime at this stage is the normalisation of a person involved in war crimes, and this should not be acceptable,' said Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.

Qatar's foreign minister ruled out on Monday the possibility of re-opening an embassy in Damascus, in line with some other Gulf countries, calling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a war criminal. "Normalisation (of relations) with the Syrian regime at this stage is the normalisation of a person involved in war crimes, and this should not be acceptable," said Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at a Doha press conference. Al-Thani said the reasons why Assad — who was elected unopposed in 2000 and has stayed in power during nearly eight years of civil war — was excluded from the international community are still in place. He added that Damascus under Assad should not be allowed back into the Arab League — its membership was suspended in 2011 — as "the Syrian people are still under bombardment... by the Syrian regime". His comments come after Gulf neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced late last month they reopened their Damascus embassies. The UAE's foreign minister Anwar Gargash tweeted that his country was doing so in part because of the influence of Iran and one of Qatar's strongest allies, Turkey, in Syria. Tehran has been a staunch supporter of Assad's government and has expanded its military footprint in Syria throughout the course of the conflict. That move also emphasised the foreign policy differences between the three Gulf states. For the past 19 months, Qatar has been in a deep diplomatic dispute with the UAE and Bahrain, in part over the direction of Doha's regional foreign policy in recent years. Qatar has been instrumental in the Syrian civil war supplying weapons to rebel groups, according to institutions such as the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Syria's opposition leader Nasr al-Hariri has pleaded with Arab leaders not to rebuild relation with Assad as his government now controls almost two-thirds of the country following military backing from Russia and Iran.

Qatar rejects normalising ties with 'criminal' Syrian President Assad

President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Monday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-warns-turkey-of-economic-devastation-if-it-hits-kurds-190087">Turkey expected the United States </a>to honour their strategic partnership after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump warned it would devastate Turkey economically if they attack a Kurdish militia in Syria.

Relations between the two NATO allies have been strained over US&nbsp;backing for the Kurdish YPG, which Turkey views as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that is waging a decades-long insurgency on Turkish soil.

“Mr @realDonaldTrump It is a fatal mistake to equate Syrian Kurds with the PKK, which is on the US terrorists list, and its Syria branch PYD/YPG,” spokesman Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Mr <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> Terrorists can’t be your partners &amp; allies. Turkey expects the US to honor our strategic partnership and doesn’t want it to be shadowed by terrorist propaganda. 
There is no difference between DAESH, PKK, PYD and YPG. We will continue to fight against them all. <a href="https://t.co/Yyzgyp9RQ4">https://t.co/Yyzgyp9RQ4</a>
— Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ikalin1/status/1084600728512016386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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“Terrorists can’t be your partners &amp; allies. Turkey expects the US to honour our strategic partnership and doesn’t want it to be shadowed by terrorist propaganda,” he said.

Trump had tweeted earlier about the United States starting its pullout from Syria, while hitting the remaining Islamic State fighters there.

“Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone...Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey,” Trump wrote.

The Kurdish YPG has been a US ally in the fight against the Islamic State group and it controls swaths of northern Syria. Erdogan has vowed to crush it in the wake of Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of the region.

President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Monday Turkey expected the United States to honour their strategic partnership after US President Donald Trump warned it would devastate Turkey economically if they attack a Kurdish militia in Syria.

President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Monday Turkey expected the United States to honour their strategic partnership after US President Donald Trump warned it would devastate Turkey economically if they attack a Kurdish militia in Syria. Relations between the two NATO allies have been strained over US backing for the Kurdish YPG, which Turkey views as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that is waging a decades-long insurgency on Turkish soil. “Mr @realDonaldTrump It is a fatal mistake to equate Syrian Kurds with the PKK, which is on the US terrorists list, and its Syria branch PYD/YPG,” spokesman Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter. Mr @realDonaldTrump Terrorists can’t be your partners & allies. Turkey expects the US to honor our strategic partnership and doesn’t want it to be shadowed by terrorist propaganda. There is no difference between DAESH, PKK, PYD and YPG. We will continue to fight against them all. https://t.co/Yyzgyp9RQ4 — Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) January 13, 2019 × “Terrorists can’t be your partners & allies. Turkey expects the US to honour our strategic partnership and doesn’t want it to be shadowed by terrorist propaganda,” he said. Trump had tweeted earlier about the United States starting its pullout from Syria, while hitting the remaining Islamic State fighters there. “Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone...Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey,” Trump wrote. The Kurdish YPG has been a US ally in the fight against the Islamic State group and it controls swaths of northern Syria. Erdogan has vowed to crush it in the wake of Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of the region.

Expect US to honour our strategic partnership: Turkey on Kurdish militia in Syria

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-will-not-be-intimidated-by-trump-threats-over-kurdish-militia-foreign-ministry-190207">Turkey says it will not be 'intimidated' by Trump's threats</a>

Turkey said Monday it would not be intimidated by threats after US President Donald Trump warned the country of economic devastation if it attacked Kurdish forces.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-police-files-sedition-charges-against-jnus-kanhaiya-kumar-umar-khalid-190203">JNU case: Delhi Police charge Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others with sedition</a>

Delhi Police on Monday filed a 12-page charge sheet in connection with the 2016 JNU sedition case. According to reports, the charge sheet has been filed at Delhi's Patiala House Court and names former student union leaders Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid for allegedly holding an anti-national event at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University in February 2016. The Court will consider the charge sheet on Tuesday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/13-dead-2-still-missing-in-cargo-plane-crash-iran-army-190221">Fifteen dead in cargo plane crash: Iran Army</a>

A military cargo plane overshot a runway, crashed and caught fire during a botched landing near the Iranian capital Tehran, killing 13 people, the army said Monday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bangladesh-garment-workers-reject-wage-hike-walk-off-job-190243">Bangladesh garment workers reject wage hike, walk off </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bangladesh-garment-workers-reject-wage-hike-walk-off-job-190243">job</a>

Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers downed tools and walked out of clothing factories Monday, refusing to end a week-long strike over wages and rejecting government efforts to end the standoff.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-out-of-australian-open-after-five-set-thriller-190245">Andy Murray out of Australian Open after </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-out-of-australian-open-after-five-set-thriller-190245">five-set</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-out-of-australian-open-after-five-set-thriller-190245"> thriller</a>

Britain's Andy Murray lost to Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2 in the first round of Australian Open 2019.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Turkey says it will not be 'intimidated' by Trump's threats Turkey said Monday it would not be intimidated by threats after US President Donald Trump warned the country of economic devastation if it attacked Kurdish forces.

Turkey says it will not be 'intimidated' by Trump's threats Turkey said Monday it would not be intimidated by threats after US President Donald Trump warned the country of economic devastation if it attacked Kurdish forces. JNU case: Delhi Police charge Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others with sedition Delhi Police on Monday filed a 12-page charge sheet in connection with the 2016 JNU sedition case. According to reports, the charge sheet has been filed at Delhi's Patiala House Court and names former student union leaders Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid for allegedly holding an anti-national event at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University in February 2016. The Court will consider the charge sheet on Tuesday. Fifteen dead in cargo plane crash: Iran Army A military cargo plane overshot a runway, crashed and caught fire during a botched landing near the Iranian capital Tehran, killing 13 people, the army said Monday. Bangladesh garment workers reject wage hike, walk off job Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers downed tools and walked out of clothing factories Monday, refusing to end a week-long strike over wages and rejecting government efforts to end the standoff. Andy Murray out of Australian Open after five-set thriller Britain's Andy Murray lost to Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2 in the first round of Australian Open 2019.

News brief: Big stories of the day

President Donald Trump warned Turkey on Sunday of economic devastation if it attacks Kurdish forces in the wake of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-us-begins-process-of-pulling-out-from-syria-189878">US troop pullout from Syria</a>, while also urging the Kurds not to "provoke" Ankara.

Trump took to Twitter to reveal some of his latest thoughts in the slow drip-drip of information being released by his administration after his shocking December announcement of the troop withdrawal.

His top <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-optimistic-syria-kurds-turkey-can-be-protected-189910">diplomat Mike Pompeo</a> is on a whirlwind regional tour aimed at reassuring allies amid rising tensions between the US and Turkey over the fate of Washington's Syrian Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State group.

Pompeo also sought to reassure Washington's Kurdish allies in the fight against IS, who fear the departure of American troops would allow Turkey to attack them.

Turkey had reacted angrily to suggestions that Trump's plan to withdraw troops was conditional on the safety of the US-backed Kurdish fighters, seen by the Turkish government as terrorists.

"Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds," Trump tweeted while pushing for the creation of a 20-mile (30-kilometer) "safe zone."

"Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084584259510304768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
....Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey. Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term U.S. policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084586625672376322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump did not detail who would create, enforce or pay for the safe zone, or where it would be located.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-led-coalition-withdrawing-equipment-from-syria-189689">US-led operations </a>against IS in Syria have been spearheaded on the ground by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Ankara sees the backbone of that alliance, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

On Saturday, more than 600 people were evacuated from the remaining IS holdout in eastern Syria, a monitor said, as US-backed fighters prepare for a final assault on the area.

"Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms," Trump said.

"Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term US policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS!"

Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman said that several dozen jihadist fighters were among those evacuated to areas held by the Kurdish-Arab alliance.&nbsp;

Abdel Rahman said some 16,000 people, including 760 IS fighters, have fled the area since the start of December, though this marked the first time the SDF and the coalition provided buses, suggesting a deal struck between the warring sides.

Civilians still trapped

The United Nations said Friday that overall some 25,000 people have fled the violence over the last six months as the die-hard jihadists have battled to defend their dwindling bastions.&nbsp;

An estimated 2,000 civilians remain trapped in the area around the town of Hajin, the United Nations said.

The US-led coalition on Saturday fired over 20 missiles against jihadist positions, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

The monitor said some 300 SDF combatants had deployed near the village of Sousa in preparations for a final assault.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump warned Turkey on Sunday of economic devastation if it attacks Kurdish forces in the wake of the US troop pullout from Syria, while also urging the Kurds not to "provoke" Ankara.

President Donald Trump warned Turkey on Sunday of economic devastation if it attacks Kurdish forces in the wake of the US troop pullout from Syria, while also urging the Kurds not to "provoke" Ankara. Trump took to Twitter to reveal some of his latest thoughts in the slow drip-drip of information being released by his administration after his shocking December announcement of the troop withdrawal. His top diplomat Mike Pompeo is on a whirlwind regional tour aimed at reassuring allies amid rising tensions between the US and Turkey over the fate of Washington's Syrian Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State group. Pompeo also sought to reassure Washington's Kurdish allies in the fight against IS, who fear the departure of American troops would allow Turkey to attack them. Turkey had reacted angrily to suggestions that Trump's plan to withdraw troops was conditional on the safety of the US-backed Kurdish fighters, seen by the Turkish government as terrorists. "Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds," Trump tweeted while pushing for the creation of a 20-mile (30-kilometer) "safe zone." "Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey." Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019 × ....Likewise, do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey. Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term U.S. policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019 × Trump did not detail who would create, enforce or pay for the safe zone, or where it would be located. US-led operations against IS in Syria have been spearheaded on the ground by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Ankara sees the backbone of that alliance, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), as a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. On Saturday, more than 600 people were evacuated from the remaining IS holdout in eastern Syria, a monitor said, as US-backed fighters prepare for a final assault on the area. "Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms," Trump said. "Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term US policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies. We also benefit but it is now time to bring our troops back home. Stop the ENDLESS WARS!" Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman said that several dozen jihadist fighters were among those evacuated to areas held by the Kurdish-Arab alliance. Abdel Rahman said some 16,000 people, including 760 IS fighters, have fled the area since the start of December, though this marked the first time the SDF and the coalition provided buses, suggesting a deal struck between the warring sides. Civilians still trapped The United Nations said Friday that overall some 25,000 people have fled the violence over the last six months as the die-hard jihadists have battled to defend their dwindling bastions. An estimated 2,000 civilians remain trapped in the area around the town of Hajin, the United Nations said. The US-led coalition on Saturday fired over 20 missiles against jihadist positions, the Observatory said. The monitor said some 300 SDF combatants had deployed near the village of Sousa in preparations for a final assault.

Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds: Trump

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