The US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have pushed back Bashar al-Assad’s threat to attack them as his regime attempts to regain control of all of Syria.
Created in autumn 2015, the SDF now holds much of northern and eastern Syria, including the city of Raqqa and the Kobani and Cezire cantons.
Assad said in a Thursday promotion by the Russian State outlet RT, that the US should learn the lesson of Iraq and withdraw. He continued:
The only problem left in Syria is the SDF. We’re going to deal with it with two options.
The first one: we started now opening doors for negotiations. Because the majority of them are Syrians, supposedly, they like their country, they don’t like to be puppets to any foreigners. We have one option, to live with each other as Syrians.
If not, we’re going to resort…to liberating those areas by force.
SDF spokesperson Kino Gabriel responded, “Any military solution, as far as the SDF is concerned, will lead to more losses and destruction and difficulties for the Syrian people.”
The SDF wants a “democratic system based on diversity, equality, freedom and justice” for all ethnic and religious groups in Syria, he said.
Facing Partition
Set up by RT interviewer Murad Gazdiev, Assad put out his standard proclamation that he would retake the country, but his regime faces de facto partition with Kurdish control of about one-third of Syria. Meanwhile, the opposition has much of the northwest — including almost all of Idlib Province and also holds a southern area along the Jordanian border and near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Idlib as well as parts of neighboring northern Hama and western Aleppo Province is under Turkish protection, while Israel has threatened intervention if Hezbollah and Iranian-led militia are involved in any regime attempt to recapture the south.
The regime’s essential ally Russia is pushing for American withdrawal as part of a political path for regime control, but the US also knocked back Assad’s comments.
A State Department official said:
The S-led global coalition remains committed to focusing on the defeat-ISIS mission in Syria and does not seek to fight the government of Syria or Iran, or Iranian-supported groups, in Syria.
However, as we have said in the past, if attacked we will not hesitate to use necessary and proportionate force to defend US, coalition, or partner forces engaged in operations to defeat ISIS.
Assad getting bold, or willing to bite the hand that feeds him. Regime mis-information outlets are putting out the following
https://ejmagnier.com/2018/05/28/russia-has-reached-the-end-of-the-road-in-syria-so-damascus-will-continue-to-fight-on-with-its-remaining-allies/
Elijah Magnier has nothing to do with the Assad government
Magnier’s connection is with Hezbollah.
What is the nature of the connection? Does he have Hezbollah sources?
Yes — and his writing is very much in line with the outlook of the organization.
He might well share Hezbollah’s outlook but that’s not the same thing as a connection Scott. Matt claimed he was a regime information outlet.
It’s not just a shared outlook — like al-Manar, he is effectively an outlet for Hezbollah’s point of view.
Hahah good luck with that. Bashar’s SAA couldent even liberate a mini market without foreign powers.
Bashar’s SAA couldent even liberate a mini market without foreign powers.
ROFLA. The US has not liberated anyone without help and the last time they did was in 1991. 🙂
USA nightmare striking Andre again…..Priceless.
USA fits more into the cat4ergory of comic tragedy than nightmare. An empire not only in decline, but hearing rapidly towards irrelevance.
Like I said, the US hasn’t liberated anyone on it’s own and hasn’t liberated any place since 1991 with the half of half a dozen allies.
ahahah oh boy keep this gems coming…..
Keep those epic US military failures coming…
Must be really tough for you when you discover that the Fed Reserve bank of Atlanta is predicting 4.8% growth in the US economy this year. Trump managed to shrink the government and get their dirty paws off US businesses, shut down the radicalized EPA and deregulate the economy, and now it is booming. Unemployment rate of 3.8% lower than anytime in the past half a century. That is the US “decline” for you. Now go back to badmouthing neocons and denying that Assad has used sarin.
USDS – US derangement syndrome. Andre will lose his head when he discovers that the US economy is going to grow by 5% this year, while Russia shrinks to an economy smaller than Mexico.
Let him live in a parallel world were russia and iran are superpowers and Assad is winning. He lives in la la land….. 🙂
As I predicted, the US are not going to give up their allinace with the Turks for the Kurds. They are in in talks with the Turks to expell the Kurds from Manbij, which shows yet again that the US will throw the Kurds/SDF under the bus whenever it suits them.
The same will happen east of the Euphrates and once that is done, the Turks will order the US to bugger off.
Assad lost those areas for good. Huge area and full of oil. No wonder they are not letting it go. Plus big daddy is behind them so as long US policy holds, those areas are lost for Bashar.
Too funny.
The worst case scenario is that Assad just has to wait till the Turks order the US (aka incontinent bid Daddy) to leave and it will be like taking candy from a baby. Most of the production facilities are destroyed and what little oil is produced, the Kurds are obliged to sell to Assad at below market prices. The area is land locked and since the Turks took Afrin, the Kurds have no access too the sea. Add to that the fact the Iraqis have taken back Kirkuk, which provided the main source of revenue for any Kurdish state and you can kiss you Kurdish state goodbye.
Tick tock tick tock… 🙂
In your fantasy world……as usual. Keep dreaming though. As usual.
No in a world of your nightmares.
Israel agreed to Assad taking Southern Syria. That means Washington will agree to it too seeing as Trump will do what Bibbi tells him.
Next up, Manbij will be cleared of the Kurds. After that, Turkey will give the US their marching orders and the SDF will be a distant memory.
Tick tock tick tock 🙂
No one cares about your 3 cents ideas……
FYI. The area east of the Euphrates is sparsely populated and the Arab populations are not going to tolerate Kurdish rule or ongoing US occupation.