Up to 15,000 Syrian rebels are ready to join a Turkish military offensive against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northeast Syria, but no date has been set for the operation, a spokesman for the main Turkish-backed Syrian rebel group said on Thursday. President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey would launch the offensive in a few days, targeting a border region east of the Euphrates river which is held by the YPG Kurdish militia.
The announcement prompted a sharp rebuke from the Pentagon, which said any unilateral military action into northeast Syria would be unacceptable.
The United States has been supporting the YPG in the fight against Islamic State insurgents since 2015. Following cross-border shelling from Turkey into Kurdish-controlled territory two months ago, U.S. forces have set up three military observation posts near the border.
Poster Comment:
OK, let me get my head around this; the US government is supporting the Kurds in Syria, but Edrogan wants the Kurds completely out of Syria; so are we now looking at a war with a sister NATO member, if things don't go in the direction the US wants?!?
How in heaven's name, did we get here in Syria, a country which did not ask for our assistance, but has reached out to to Russia and Iran for military aid, which was granted?!?
What happens if we tick off the Russians, or attempt to break into Russian air space?!?
There are a myriad of bad scenarios possible, with this announced raid, that I have to wonder about Erdogan's sanity; is he looking at claiming that this area where the the fighting will happen, as part of Turkey?!? YIKES!!!