'Warming lap'
Erdogan goes on offensive against US, accuses them of supplying Kurdish YPG with weapons
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went on the offensive against Washington on Wednesday after announcing his forces were preparing to kickoff their new offensive east of the Euphrates.
Erdogan accused the U.S. military of continuously supplying weapons to the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG), despite denying that they weren’t giving them heavy arms.
2018-12-12 - Erdogan Announces New Anti-PKK Terror Op East of The Euphrates to Begin in Days
Erdogan Announces New Anti-PKK Terror Op East of The Euphrates to Begin in Days - Eurasia Future
Erdogan announces forthcoming military operations in north-eastern Syria
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
stated that the armed forces of the country will commence a new anti-terror operation east of the River Euphrates in Syria. While such an operation has long been discussed and while Ankara has been very clear about its security concerns in the region,
the timing of this announcement seems to indicate that Turkey has effectively lost patience with the United States.
While the US has been tepidly working with Turkey to jointly patrol the northern Syrian city of Manbij, the city has yet to be liberated from occupation by the YPG/PKK terror group. Meanwhile, the US has set up observation posts throughout the wider north-eastern regions of Syria which Ankara tends to view as an attempt to shield the YPG/PKK from justice.
All the while, Washington has refused to renounce its battlefield alliance with the YPG – the Syrian branch of the PKK, in spite of the fact that the PKK remains designated by the US as a terror group, in addition to the fact that the group.
Turkey has already conducted three major military operations in Syria since the beginning of the long running conflict in the Arab Republic. The first took place in 2016 during which time Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Sheild established a Turkish zone of influence in north western Syria that remains part of the de-escalation area in parts of both Idlib and Aleppo Governorates. The second major Turkish operation began early in 2018 when Operation Olive Branch liberated the northern Syrian city of Afrin from occupation by the YPG/PKK terror group. Since the liberation of Afrin, Turkey and the United States have made a commitment to jointly patrol the north-central Syrian city of Manbij while working to neutralise the YPG/PKK occupation through joint efforts.
It was against this background that in October of this year, Erdogan stated:
“We are ready to smash the terrorist structure east of the Euphrates. We have completed preparations for this issue. In the near future, we will drive the terrorist organization into a corner through a large-scale and efficient operation. One night we will suddenly come”.
A US green light or a a breakdown in the Manbij agreement
Turkey has always sought to cooperate with the United States in neutralizing terrorism in north-eastern Syria. Yet one of the grave issues that has been a major sticking point in the recent tensions between Turkey and its NATO partner America has been the latter’s continued battle field alliance in north-eastern Syria with the so-called SDF, a militant organization comprised primarily of YPG/PKK terrorists. While the US continues to list the PKK as a terror group, its YPG branch in Syria is an explicit ally of the United States. As the YPG/PKK have launched attacks on Turkey from Syrian soil, the issue is clearly a matter of grave concern for Ankara.
The lethargy of US activity in Manbij in spite of prior commitments made along with Turkey in May of this year could well have been a motivating factor behind Erdogan’s assessment of the present situation east of the River Euphrates. Alternatively, as communications between top US officials and the Turkish government have increased in the aftermath of the shocking Saudi orchestrated murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, it could well be that Turkish and US officials discussed the matter of an Operation Olive Branch 2.0 east of the Euphrates. Within this context, the US may well have privately green-lighted the operation in one way or another.
The truth of the matter is likely in-between.
As the so-called SDF proves ever more ineffective at containing what remains of Daesh in eastern Syria, US military officials will be well aware that the US gamble in allying with the YPG/PKK has largely been a losing one from a short term tactical perspective. As such, the US may well have had little choice but to effectively concede that Turkey’s security concerns are legitimate and that because the so-called SDF can barely do what the US intended it to do, a Turkish presence east of the Euphrates is strategically a safer option from the US perspective than a resurgent Daesh, a crumbling SDF or the presence of pro-Assad troops.
Russia and Iran’s perspective
During the most recent meeting of the Astana trio of Russia, Turkey and Iran in Tehran, it was agreed that all nations shall adopt a mutual definition of terrorism as well as a supportive position of a mutual fight against these manifold forms of terrorism. This along with other statements from
Russia in particular has been interpreted as a Russo-Iranian endorsement of Turkey’s actions against YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria.
Therefore, while Russian and Iranian troops will certainly not be present in the forthcoming anti-terror operation led by Turkey, in terms of intelligence and logistical support Russia and Iran appear to be happy to cooperate with their Turkish partner in this new theatre of operations.
Perspective from Damascus
While Damascus disapproves of all Turkish operations on Syrian soil, as the YPG/PKK is a clear threat to the territorial unity and safety of both Turkey and Syria while Damascus’s partners Russia and Iran are working ever more closely with Ankara over regional security matters, it would behove Damascus to speak with Turkey through a Russian or Iranian intermediary regarding Turkey’s operations east of the Euphrates.
As Damascus has already signed up to a constitutional dialogue process which will pave the way for internationally monitored elections in-line with the letter of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, a Turkish-Syrian reconciliation process would help to smooth out such a transition, not least because groups deemed by Russia, Turkey and Iran to be moderate opposition forces tend to have long standing healthy relations with Ankara.
While Damascus and Ankara still have little in common regarding the conflict, a privately united front against the YPG/PKK terror group could potentially go a long way in easing tensions that will naturally arise during forthcoming dialogue processes aimed at redrafting the Syrian constitution. While such discussions between Damascus and Ankara via a surrogate are still unlikely, the longer such dialogue is delayed the more incomplete the peace process will remain.
Conclusion
While the US continues to view north-eastern Syria as its exclusive zone of influence, by allying with an anti-Turkish terror group, Washington could have easily foreseen that Turkey would not stand idly by while such a group becomes a major occupying power in a neighboring state. Therefore, anyone opposed to Turkey’s forthcoming anti-terror operation can point the finger at the United States as it was US policy makers who felt that it was a prudent decision to openly ally with a dangerous terror group whose Turkish branched remains proscribed by the US. Now it seems that Turkey is about to take matters into its own hands. While Turkey will of course be in constant communication with the US, Ankara also knows that Washington has been reckless in its partnership with the YPG/PKK and that its threat to Turkey’s security must be neutralized east of the Euphrates just as it was earlier neutralized in Afrin.
2018-12-12 - Full video of Erdogan’s announcement of eastern Euphrates operation
Full video of Erdogan's announcement of eastern Euphrates operation
Erdogan announces forthcoming military operations in north-eastern Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that a new operation against US-backed Kurdish fighters “east of the Euphrates” would be launched “in a few days,” while speaking at a defense industry summit in Ankara on Wednesday.
Wed Dec 12, 2018 - Hundreds of Terrorists Leave Yemen for Northern Syria Battlefields
Farsnews
Almost 400 non-Syrian terrorists that had left Yemen's battlefields arrived in Idlib province in Northwestern Syria via the Turkish border in the last two months, a Russian media outlet reported on Wednesday.
The Arabic-language website of Sputnik quoted well-informed sources as disclosing that almost 400 non-Syrian terrorists have arrived in Idlib through Turkey's Southern border with Syria in the last two months.
It further said that
the terrorists that had arrived in the region from Yemen crossed the Turkish border into Syria's border towns of Sarmada and Atmah in Idlib in 8 and 15-member groups, adding that the terrorists' transfer from Yemen to Idlib was supervised by a regional state.
The report did not mention the name of the regional state that had assisted the move, but said that Horras al-Deen militants have settled the newcomers in one of their bases between Idlib and Northern Hama that had been set up 20 days ago.
The news agency said that Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) has eased transfer of the terrorists to regions under Horras al-Deen's control in Idlib.
Militant-affiliated sources reported last week that the Ankara-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) started preparing its gunmen to counter any possible attack by the Syrian Army troops in the Northern part of the country amid other terrorists' provocative measures in the demilitarized zone in Idlib, Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia provinces.
The sources disclosed that NLF Spokesman Naji Mustafa urged the group's fighters to be on alert to counter the army's possible operation in Northern Syria.
Wed Dec 12, 2018 - Syrian Army Sends More Military Convoys to North, Northwest to Counter Terrorists
Farsnews
The Syrian Army dispatched convoys of troops and equipment to Aleppo, Idlib and Hama on Wednesday as the government forces are preempting and repelling terrorist attacks from the demilitarized zone on a daily base.
The army forwarded several convoys, including hundreds of fresh soldiers and a large volume of military hardware, to contact lines with the terrorists, deployed in the demilitarized zone in Aleppo, Idlib and Hama provinces.
The terrorists' continued attacks have made the government forces prepare for an imminent operation in the Northern and Northwestern parts of the country.
In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units pounded terrorists' movements and positions in the towns and villages of al-Latamina, al-Janabarah, Tal Othman, al-Sakhar and al-Zakat in Northern Hama and preempted their attack after inflicting major losses on the militants.
Other units of the army opened heavy artillery attacks on terrorists' movements in the small town of Jarjanaz in Southeastern Idlib and preempted their attack. The terrorists suffered heavy casualties.
The terrorists' refusal to implement the Sochi Agreement to establish a demilitarized zone is pushing the army to initiate its long-waited assault on militants in Idlib that had been put on hold due to the Sochi Agreement.
Colonel Mar'ei Hamdan, a Syrian military expert, was quoted by the Arabic-language website of Sputnik news agency as saying last month that Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) is in control of nearly 70% of towns and villages in Idlib province and makes provocative moves against the Syrian army, adding that the army's commitment to decrease tensions is not lasting forever.
He added that the Syrian army has so far repelled all attacks by terrorists against its positions and inflicted heavy damages on them, noting that
the army is now necessitated to come out of the defensive mood to retake control of Idlib.
2018-12-12 - Russian military moved S-300 system near US forces in east Syria – report
Russian military moved S-300 system near US forces in east Syria - report
The Russian military allegedly moved their S-300 air defense system near the front-lines of the U.S. Coalition forces in eastern Syria, Saudi-based Asharq Al-Aswat claimed, citing diplomatic sources.
“In the past days, Russia began moving some parts of the S-300 sophisticated system to Deir Ezzor, a step that would make the flyover of coalition planes (in missions) against ISIS east of the Euphrates River more difficult,” the Asharq Al-Aswat sources claimed.
The Syrian and Russian forces have not yet commented on these claims by the publication.
2018-12-12 - Trump says Daesh to be eliminated within 30 days
Trump says Daesh to be eliminated within 30 days
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) terror group should be eliminated inside Syria within the next 30 days.
“We’ve done a very, very major job on ISIS. There are very few of ’em left in that area of the world,” Trump said, referring to Daesh.
“Within another 30 days, there won’t be any of them left,” he added.
Trump made this statement while signing the new Iraq and Syria Genocide Accountability Act in Washington.
Tuesday, 11 December 2018 - US Continues to Hold Area around Syria’s al-Tanf and Protect 6,000 Terrorists: Russian MoD
US Continues to Hold Area around Syria’s al-Tanf and Protect 6,000 Terrorists: Russian MoD
The United States continues holding the 55 km zone around the Syrian community of al-Tanf where 6,000 militants are staying, Head of Russia’s National Defense Control Center Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev said on Tuesday, according to Itar Tass.
"Perhaps, only our American partners do not want to see up to date how much has been done to revive peaceful life in Syria. They are holding with incomprehensible stubbornness the occupied 55 km area around al-Tanf where 6,000 armed militants are on the loose and are preventing the disbanding of the Rukban refugee camp," the general said at a session of the inter-departmental coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria for the return of refugees to Syrian territory.
According to Mizintsev, this is actually the last stronghold of evil, injustice and horror for ordinary Syrian citizens set up by the United States on the territory of the independent state.
"I would like to emphasize once again that Rukban is the territory illegally occupied by the United States and that is why the entire responsibility for the conditions of the life of Syrian citizens is borne solely by the United States," Mizintsev pointed out.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Igor Tsarikov said that the ministry was concerned over the dubious activity of the United States and its allies in Syria.
"There is growing concern related to the dubious activity of the United State and its allies in Syria. The illegal occupation of the 55 km zone around the base in al-Tanf continues to be the basic source of destabilization in that part of Syria," he said.
According to Tsarikov, the humanitarian operation held in early November was a failure from the organizational standpoint. Representatives of the UN and the Syrian Red Crescent Society were not let into the occupied US zone, he said.
Humanitarian aid
"The humanitarian aid was distributed by militants of the [Magawir al-Saura] armed grouping. In the absence of the required control, a considerable part of the humanitarian aid failed to reach those who needed it and got into the hands of illegal armed formations," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
While the United States bears full responsibility for the plight of civilians in that area, the mistakes of the first humanitarian convoy may be repeated at the UN tacit consent in the period of conducting the second humanitarian operation in the Rukban camp, he said.
"In our opinion, reputable international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Red Crescent Society, should be involved not only in the delivery but also in the distribution of humanitarian aid. We are insistently calling on our partners to avoid the repetition of mistakes committed while the basic efforts have to be focused on disbanding this camp and resettling its inhabitants," Tsarikov said.
Over 1,400 Syrian communities liberated from Daesh terror grip
Elsewhere in his statement, Mizintsev said that more than 1,400 residential areas in Syria were freed from terrorists and extremists of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS, ISIS, Daesh) terror group during the period of Russia’s participation in the fighting, Tass reported.
One year ago on this day, the Russian armed forces successfully completed its operation of mopping up terror groups in the Syrian Arab Republic, including thousands of IS fighters. Only a few ragtag US-backed groups survived in the Trans-Euphrates region and near Al-Tanf. The remainders of the Jabhat al-Nusra terror group were blocked in the Idlib de-escalation zone.
In total, 1,411 areas were liberated during the operation with Syrian government troops and militia having retaken more than 96.5% of the country’s territory," Mizintsev told a joint meeting of the interdepartmental coordination of the Russian and Syrian headquarters for the return of refugees.
He also noted that the completion of the operation has made it possible to significantly reduce the Russian Air Force group in Syria and start restoring peace there.
"In accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which calls for a political settlement in Syria, a constitutional committee with the participation of the opposition and representatives of Syria’s entire multinational civil society is being shaped," Mizintsev stressed.
December 11, 2018 - US military declares five missing Marines dead after Japan crash
US military declares five missing Marines dead after Japan crash
- The accident was initially reported to have happened during a refueling operation, but the military then said this had not been confirmed and that the circumstances were still under investigation
- There are around 50,000 US troops stationed in Japan and accidents are not uncommon
The US Marine Corps said that the crash involved an F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 refueling aircraft during regular training after the planes took off from their base in Iwakuni, near Hiroshima in western Japan. (Cpl. Trever Statz/US Marine Corps/AP)
TOKYO: The US military said Tuesday it had pronounced five missing Marines dead and was ending search operations nearly a week after two US military aircraft crashed off Japan.
The announcement brings the final toll in the December 6 crash to six, with a seventh crew member rescued after the deadly incident.
The crash involving an F/A-18 fighter jet with two crew onboard and a KC-130 refueling tanker with five crew occurred in the early morning around 100 kilometers (55 nautical miles) off the cape of Muroto in southwestern Japan.
It prompted a massive search and rescue operation, which the US military said had now been called off.
“Every possible effort was made to recover our crew and I hope the families of these selfless Americans will find comfort in the incredible efforts made by US, Japanese, and Australian forces during the search,” said US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commanding general of the III Marine Expeditionary Force.
The accident was initially reported to have happened during a refueling operation, but the military said Tuesday this had not been confirmed and that the circumstances were still under investigation.
There are around 50,000 US troops stationed in Japan and accidents are not uncommon.
In November, a US navy fighter jet crashed into the sea off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa and its two crew members were rescued alive.
And in November 2017, a C-2A “Greyhound” aircraft with 11 people on board went down in the Philippine Sea — eight were rescued and the search was called off for the remaining three after a two-day search.
The US military has also experienced difficulties with its Osprey helicopters, with several emergency landings, a deadly crash and a piece of a chopper falling on the grounds of a Japanese school.
Those incidents have stoked tensions between close military allies Washington and Tokyo and led to protests against the deployment of Ospreys by residents living near US bases.
(38th RS/55th WG), the 
region. 
