Trump Arms Kurds despite Turkey's Anger

[CostinR]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/u...yria-army.html

President Trump has approved a plan to arm Syrian Kurds so they can participate in the battle to retake Raqqa from the Islamic State, a strategy that has drawn deep opposition from Turkey, a NATO ally.

American military commanders have long argued that arming the Y.P.G., a Kurdish militia fighting alongside Syrian Arab forces against the Islamic State, is the fastest way to seize Raqqa, the capital of the militants’ self-proclaimed caliphate.

And Mr. Trump, who made fighting Islamist militants a priority during his campaign, again showed the high regard he has for Pentagon generals by endorsing their advice when faced with a policy dilemma.

Turkey has objected vociferously to such a move, raising fears of a backlash that could prompt the Turks to curtail their cooperation with Washington in the struggle against the Islamic State.

A high-level delegation of Turkish officials was informed of the decision by Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, when they visited the White House on Monday, and the Pentagon announced the move on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump’s decision on arming the Syrian Kurds comes as Iraqi forces, backed by American and allied air power and artillery, are making headway in Mosul. American military commanders have argued for simultaneous offenses in Raqqa and Mosul so the Islamic State would be forced to defend multiple fronts.

The president’s decision also comes as his top advisers recommended sending 3,000 to 5,000 more American troops to try to break a stalemate in another hot spot: the 15-year war in Afghanistan.

The weapons that the United States will provide Kurdish and Arab fighters in the anti-Islamic State coalition include heavy machine guns, mortars, anti-tank weapons, armored cars and engineering equipment.

American military officials have said that weapons are needed to help the lightly armed Kurdish and Arab fighters cope with urban warfare in Raqqa against unyielding Islamic State militants who are equipped with car bombs and even some tanks they captured from the Syrian Army.

To address Turkish concerns that the arms might be used against their forces one day, the supply of weapons and ammunition will be limited to what the Kurds and Arab fighters need to carry out specific operations, American officials said.

It's a delicate situation between Turkey and the Kurds, the US has already been forced to send ground troops in Kurdish territory in Syria to prevent the Turks from attacking. The Russians have done the same.

Erdogan is one of the biggest problems in the region.

[Venant]

There are problems with arming the Kurds, who have committed many war crimes including ethnic cleansing. Our media has tirelessly spread propaganda about how great the Kurds are, which is why many will support this move.

[oxymoronic]

There are problems with arming the Kurds, who have committed many war crimes including ethnic cleansing. Our media has tirelessly spread propaganda about how great the Kurds are, which is why many will support this move.

meh who doesnt have a little ethnic cleansing in their past.

[Deleted]

Well the Kurds stood up against Isis when most others did not, think they've proved their worth. Turkey is always complaining nowadays so it's starting to be a non factor.

[Super Kami Dende]

Considering Turkeys recent track record of being Assholes. Why should we care?

[Dextroden]

Do we like the Kurds? I lost my cheat sheet for groups we back.

[Venant]

Well the Kurds stood up against Isis when most others did not, think they've proved their worth. Turkey is always complaining nowadays so it's starting to be a non factor.

They took the failure of the Iraqi government as an opportunity to expand their territory.

- - - Updated - - -

Considering Turkeys recent track record of being Assholes. Why should we care?

Probably due to that stupid thing called 'NATO', which still binds us to Turkey

[Rasulis]

There are problems with arming the Kurds, who have committed many war crimes including ethnic cleansing. Our media has tirelessly spread propaganda about how great the Kurds are, which is why many will support this move.

Are you talking about this?

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...-turkmens.html

- - - Updated - - -

Do we like the Kurds? I lost my cheat sheet for groups we back.

The fact that they don't hate us, and that they are moderate to the point of almost secular is enough.

[Venant]

Do we like the Kurds? I lost my cheat sheet for groups we back.

They are portrayed in media as 'so progressive' because they claim to have women fighting ISIS. Its all ridiculous propaganda. Claims of them engaging in ethnic cleansing by forcing the displacement of populations in territory they have taken are suppressed in western media.

[Independent voter]

The Kurds are fighting ISIS *shrug*

[Venant]

The fact that they don't hate us, and that they are moderate to the point of almost secular is enough.

They are 'moderate' because they are a bunch of tribal warlords attempting to carve out a country, and part of the area they would like to carve out happens to belong to one of our NATO allies.

We should have a better foreign policy than: zomg somebody in the middle east that is not currently attempting to murder us, give them weapons!

[ItsRainingMetal]

There are problems with arming the Kurds, who have committed many war crimes including ethnic cleansing. Our media has tirelessly spread propaganda about how great the Kurds are, which is why many will support this move.

That's funny.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

[Caerule]

We should move beyond caring about Turkey at this point. I've not been in their corner since they used the war in the region to bomb the Kurds while those were fighting ISIS. And a lot has happened since then.

[Rasulis]

They are 'moderate' because they are a bunch of tribal warlords attempting to carve out a country, and part of the area they would like to carve out happens to belong to one of our NATO allies.

We should have a better foreign policy than: zomg somebody in the middle east that is not currently attempting to murder us, give them weapons!

That is probably the only policy left for us.

[Redwyrm]

Remember kids, in 20-30 years time when we are fighting a insurgent group armed with American guns and tanks and bombs, this is where and how it starts. It's how it started with Al-Qaeda/Isis

[Deleted]

There are problems with arming the Kurds, who have committed many war crimes including ethnic cleansing. Our media has tirelessly spread propaganda about how great the Kurds are, which is why many will support this move.

Do you have any evidence the kurds have commited ethnic cleansing in Syria?

[lonely zergling]

Well aslong as the kurds dont turn back on the west i'm fine with arming them so they can take revenge and cleanse a piece of land for themself.

[Deleted]

They took the failure of the Iraqi government as an opportunity to expand their territory​

Yes but without them Iraq would have even less as they couldn't do anything against Isis seeing how weak their army was.
Still doesn't remove the usefulness of arming Kurds to fight Isis.
It's after the scourge is cleansed we get to see if it was a good move or not. And it's not just us sending arms to them

[NewOrleansTrolley]

The last admin funded and created ISIS. So.. yeah, I don't see the harm.

[hellhamster]

I guess they wanted to keep Erdogan in check.