Turkey has been moving forces around the Syrian border for some time. Monday night the Turkish Air Force likely using US build F-16s, dropping US made bombs, attacked the YBŞ and PKK sites in Sinjar. The PKK remains a US listed Foreign Terrorist Organization (“FTO”). The Yazidis YBŞ is not a list FTO.
Preliminary reports are that one of two target sites was around Sinjar the bombing was near Yazidis refugee sites on the mountain where the Yazdis took refuge from ISIS. The YBŞ are the home defense force of the surviving Yazidis in Sinjar who were the victims of an indisputable act of ISIS genocide. Last night their militia were attacked because of there proximity to the PKK. In my opinion possibly at the orders of Al Baghdadi.
In addition to the attacks in Iraq that included the non-FTO YBŞ, there are many credible reports that the Turkish Air Force also bombed an area of North Eastern Syria occupied by a US ally the #SDF. YPG and YPJ that are not FTO’s are part of the #SDF a US ally fighting ISIS under the congressional authority contained in the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (“AUMF”). US forces are routinely embedded near YPG YPJ forces. So there is a chance that US forces came under fire too. In my view the attack on the #SDF could make out a cognizable act of war against the US.
Turkey will say they attacked the PKK that US has listed but Turkey also considers the term PKK to include the YPG & YPJ who are in the SDF and are not listed FTO’s. So when Trump said to Erdogan, “let’s kill some PKK terrorists,” was he aware he was authorizing killing our allies in the SDF who are not a listed FTO?
Though he touts being a great deal maker, Trump has likely never had a call with somebody like Erdogan. Barack Obama cursed poor Joe Biden with the thankless task of talking to the Great Prevaricator Erdogan.
There was something in the read out of the Trump-Erdogan call, widely attacked for its brevity. Look at the end. “All groups that use terrorism. . .” That’s the magic, “kill all the Kurds you want” language that Erdogan needed.
Did Trump, the dumb guy from Queens, fall for it? Or was he in on it all along?
At best, Trump was taken by Erdogan in the call. Made to look a fool. That’s the best that can be said for Trump. The worst?
He committed treason.
TimInHonolulu 