Who are the Kurds?

Who are the Kurds and why are they under attack?

Russians Pressure U.S. Forces in Northeast Syria

‘Maybe we will, maybe we won’t’: Trump doubles down on threat to take oil from Syria

Assad and Putin are responsible for Syria’s latest wave of suffering

Trump Admin Fights Bill Punishing Turkey for Its Russian Deal

‘We Just Capitulated’

An inside look at Trump’s foreign policy: ‘This is literally insane’

Senate defies earlier White House block to unanimously recognize Armenian genocide

Trump administration rejects Congress vote on Armenia ‘genocide’

I see a pattern

Trump’s talk of Afghanistan cease-fire appears to surprise the Taliban, Afghan government

In Afghanistan, Trump Creates Confusion Over U.S. Policy on Taliban

Withdrawing from Syria (sorta, didn’t bring the troops home, just moved them out of way for Turkey and Russia) surprised the Kurds.

The worst commander in chief ever

Worry rises in military over Trump’s decision-making

Syrian Kurdish refugees spout fury at Turkey’s Erdogan

Turkish-backed groups plundering civilian properties in Syria’s Ras al-Ain

‘When they come, they will kill you’: Ethnic cleansing is already a reality in Turkey’s Syrian safe zone

We have NEVER implemented Lemkin’s Law!!! I hate what happened on my TV in Bosnia and Rwanda. History repeats itself IF people allow it to. I hate how MY nation is NOT helping refugees!

Modern Genocides

Scoop: White House directed block of Armenian genocide resolution

The world’s disturbing inaction as the Genocide Convention turns 70

Trump Slashes Refugee Cap to 18,000, Curtailing U.S. Role as Haven

Raphael Lemkin and the Genocide Convention

Trump’s Turkey Corruption Is Way Worse Than You Realize

TURKEY’S ERDOGAN IS ‘THUMBING HIS NOSE AT TRUMP’ BY TESTING RUSSIAN WEAPONS AND ATTACKING KURDS, SENATOR SAYS

If You Don’t Care About Kurds Dying—You’re Not Pro-life

Kurds accuse Turkey of targeting medics

The US Mission Tied to Syrian Oil Fields May Prove the Worst of All Strategic Options

These Kurdish Women Fought on the Frontlines Against ISIS. Now They’re the No. 1 Target in Syria

Turkey’s Tyrant Eats a White House Turkey

Russia establishes new foothold in Syria amid spike in violence

https://limbaugh2020.com/remember-helsinki/

Scoop: Erdogan upends Oval meeting to play anti-Kurd film on iPad

We are staying in Syria, but what comes next?

Trump contradicts aides and says troops in Syria ‘only for oil

Graham blocks resolution recognizing Armenian genocide after Erdoğan meeting

Behind Trump’s Dealings With Turkey: Sons-in-Law Married to Power

Bolton suggests Trump’s Turkey policy motivated by personal, financial interest: NBC

Turkey’s proxy army ‘looting, kidnapping and executing Kurds at random’ in north Syria ‘safe zone’

Trump Lied! The Troops were never coming home – he just had to make Putin happy

U.S. will leave up to 600 troops in northeastern Syria to prevent ISIS resurgence, top general says

Trump plan to save Syria’s oil is shaping up to be a public-relations dumpster fire

Senators ask how many ISIS prisoners have escaped since Trump cleared way for Turkish military action

Turkey’s Lobbyists Had Deep Access to Trump White House

Erdogan says U.S. not fulfilling Syria promises, ahead of Trump talks

Some dirty words (HBO):

Tragic Kurds: Lost in the maze of Middle Eastern history

Senators ask how many ISIS prisoners have escaped since Trump cleared way for Turkish military action

US pours back to military bases in northeast Syria

Confusion reigns over US plan to ‘secure the oil’ in Syria as commanders await orders

The Realists Are Wrong About Syria

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed in U.S. raid in Syria

How Trump’s Gilding the Lily on Baghdadi Death Will Return to Haunt Americans

Baghdadi’s death underscores what we’ve lost by abandoning Syria’s Kurds

C.I.A. Got Tip on al-Baghdadi’s Location From Arrest of a Wife and a Courier

The U.S. kills an ISIS leader. But Trump is giving the group a new lease on life.

Baghdadi Is Dead. The War on Terror Will Create Another.

Baghdadi Is Dead But Islamic State Is Not

Fact check: Trump falsely claims his 2000 book demanded the killing of Osama bin Laden

‘Whimpering, screaming and crying,’ ‘A beautiful dog:’ Trump’s vivid account of the Baghdadi raid

Russia: Trump’s Baghdadi Victory Lap Is Nothing But ‘Propaganda’

Earlier in the week:

Trump’s Turkey, Kurd, Syria Presser Was the Craziest Yet

Trump’s former generals, from James Mattis to Joseph Votel, sound an unprecedented warning

‘The U.S. Should Have Committed to Its Promises’

Iraqi president: U.S. withdrawal in Syria adds to “perfect storm” in Middle East

15 dead in Syria clashes between pro-Turkish forces, Kurds

UNICEF’s Top Syria Official: ‘We Have Witnessed Huge Amounts Of Distress’ Among Kids

What Was the Point of the Syria ‘Withdrawal’?

In Syria, the president wants to protect oil—not people.

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/10/what-was-the-point-syria-withdrawal/600829

Trump decided to leave troops in Syria after conversations about oil, officials say

Trump’s flip-flopping on Syria proves he does not know how complicated the reality is

Syria: videos of Turkey-backed militias show ‘potential war crimes’

RETIRED GENERALS AND ADMIRALS: WE CALL ON TRUMP TO START LIVING UP TO THE VALUES OF U.S. ARMED FORCES | OPINION

Turkey: Syrians Being Deported to Danger

Russia-Turkey deal increases chances of ethnic cleansing

Turkey Will ‘Cleanse’ Syria Border if Russia Fails to Clear Kurdish Fighters, Erdogan Says

Cornyn: Not a bad idea to get U.S. troops out of the way if Turkey planned to ‘ethnically cleanse the Kurds’

I guess Senator Cornyn has never heard of Lemkin’s Law?

Trump is helping to demolish a cardinal principle of the postwar order

Trump suggests Kurds relocate as US considers deploying armored vehicles to protect oil fields

Trump’s lies on Syria were jaw-dropping

Seth Meyers Dismantles Sean Hannity’s ‘Dumb’ Trump Defense

Iraq says U.S. forces withdrawing from Syria have no approval to stay

Putin and Erdogan just did a deal on Syria. The US is the biggest loser.

Trump isn’t ‘bringing our soldiers back home’ from Syria

‘America is running away’: Syrian withdrawal turns chaotic

As U.S. Leaves Allies in Syria, Kurdish Commander Struggles With Fallout

US, European lawmakers swipe Trump and Turkey in new Syria joint statement

Our Commander in Chief is a Petulant Little Child, and the Bad Guys of the World Have His Number

Trump’s playing a game of Russian roulette

America’s Ally in Syria Warns of Ethnic Cleansing by Turkey

Exclusive: Top Kurdish commander calls Turkish assault ‘ethnic cleansing operation’

‘Dad stop the burning, I beg you’: Horrifying footage reveals badly-burned Kurdish children in Syria amid claims Turkey is using banned weapons such as napalm and white phosphorus

Turkey may have used chemical weapons on the Kurdish civilians Trump left vulnerable

‘We Didn’t Believe We Would See The Sun Rise’: Refugees From Syria Arrive In Iraq

Ceasefire didn’t work!

U.S. POLICY ON SYRIA UNRAVELS AS TURKISH CEASEFIRE DOESN’T HOLD

Clashes ongoing between Syrian Kurdish forces, Turkey amid ceasefire

Trump’s News Channel Agrees!

Syria cease-fire in question after fighting, shelling reported

Because of Trump, people are dying!

Trump Takes Incoherence and Inhumanity and Calls It Foreign Policy

Gen. McCaffrey on Trump’s claim the Kurds are happy: ‘It’s simply absurd, it’s cruel, it makes him look stupid’

‘Get the Hell Out of Syria. It’s Sand and Blood and Death’: Inside America’s Chaotic Retreat

Fact check: Trump nonsensically claims other presidents tried to make his Turkey deal for ’10 years’ or ’15 years’

The sad thing is that his tweet’s over bringing the troops home were LIES!

They are NOT coming home!

U.S. troops to withdraw from Syria and head to western Iraq

US troops leaving Syria will fight ISIS from Iraq

This was all a deadly and impotent attempt to achieve one of these nine promises!

Turkey’s Victory Over Donald Trump

Can our friends trust the US as an ally? Most Americans say Trump’s Syria move has hurt

THIS IS SO WRONG:

Trump on Turks and Kurds: ‘Like two kids in a lot, you’ve got to let them fight’

Syria: Damning evidence of war crimes and other violations by Turkish forces and their allies

Civilians severely at risk from Turkish invasion of Northern Syria

What to know about potential war crimes in Syria by Turkish-backed fighters

Trump’s Haphazard Syria Deal Leaves Erdogan With Long-Sought Win

Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President

“As I stood on the parade field at Fort Bragg, one retired four-star general, grabbed my arm, shook me and shouted, “I don’t like the Democrats, but Trump is destroying the Republic!”

“But, if we don’t care about our values, if we don’t care about duty and honor, if we don’t help the weak and stand up against oppression and injustice — what will happen to the Kurds, the Iraqis, the Afghans, the Syrians, the Rohingyas, the South Sudanese and the millions of people under the boot of tyranny or left abandoned by their failing states?”

“If our promises are meaningless, how will our allies ever trust us? If we can’t have faith in our nation’s principles, why would the men and women of this nation join the military? And if they don’t join, who will protect us? If we are not the champions of the good and the right, then who will follow us? And if no one follows us — where will the world end up?”

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/opinion/trump-mcraven-syria-military.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Turkey Rejects U.S. Call for Immediate Cease-Fire in Syria

Pentagon chief says U.S. troops to leave Syria for Iraq

House overwhelmingly votes bipartisan condemnation of Trump withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria

McConnell invites Dems to go harder against Trump on Syria

Mitch McConnell: Withdrawing from Syria is a grave mistake

‘See you at the polls’: Trump and Pelosi have it out

Trump tries to distance himself from chaos in Syria as tensions with lawmakers in both parties escalate

Fact-Checking Trump on Syria, Erdogan and the Kurds

Turkey’s Erdogan ‘threw Trump’s Syria letter in bin’

Turkish President Erdogan says he ‘cannot forget’ Trump’s letter

Boot on Trump’s Syria decision: It’s a strategic disaster

With Turkey’s invasion of Syria, concerns mount over nukes at Incirlik

Fearing US abandonment, Kurds kept back channels wide open

This is SAD!

GOP REP. LIZ CHENEY TELLS FOX NEWS TURKEY INVADED SYRIA BECAUSE DEMOCRATS LAUNCHED IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AGAINST TRUMP

Fury over Trump Syria decision grows

Pullback Leaves Green Berets Feeling ‘Ashamed,’ and Kurdish Allies Describing ‘Betrayal’

Kremlin relishes US pullback from Syria, turmoil in Ukraine

Unswayed by top advisers, Trump doubles down on decision to withdraw troops

EXCLUSIVE: KURDISH ALLIES LEARNED OF TRUMP’S SYRIA PULLOUT ON TWITTER: “WE WERE LIKE, ‘WHAT IS THIS SH*T?'”

Pro-gov Turkish media hail execution of Syrian Kurdish politician as ‘success’

Retired Marine Gen. John Allen: ‘There is blood on Trump’s hands for abandoning our Kurdish allies’

Behind the scenes of the Trump bluff that kicked off Turkey’s invasion

Defense secretary: Trump ordered near total withdrawal of troops from northern Syria

Endangered By Turkish Offensive, U.S. Troops Prepare To Evacuate From Syria

Donald Trump has empowered all of the most heinous anti-Western forces in the Middle East

January 6, 2019

Contradicting Trump, Bolton says no withdrawal from Syria until ISIS destroyed, Kurds’ safety guaranteed

No Syria withdrawal without Turkish pledge not to attack Kurds, Bolton says

WE LIED!

Trump says he’s an ‘island of one’ on Syria

The Trump-Blessed War in Northeastern Syria Is Already a Full-Blown Disaster

As the fighting has intensified, nearly 800 suspected ISIS members have now escaped from S.D.F. custody following a Turkish air strike, and there have been other attempted escapes at other facilities, including a prison which was the site of one of at least two ISIS car bomb attacks since the fighting began. An ISIS flag has also reportedly been raised in a region between a Kurdish-controlled town and the Turkish border. 

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/10/the-trump-blessed-war-in-syria-has-quickly-led-to-disaster.html

Turkey bombing Syrian border occupied by Kurds continues

Esper: Turkey ‘appears to be’ committing war crimes in northern Syria

The U.S. Spoiled a Deal That Might Have Saved the Kurds, Former Top Official Says

‘Some of the Most Noble People I’d Ever Met’

97 Humanitarian organizations in Syria condemn Turkey’s invasion

Militants Backed by Turkey Kill Kurdish Captives in Syria

Exclusive: Military leader of Syrian Kurds tells US ‘you are leaving us to be slaughtered’

Hundreds of thousands in harm’s way in northern Syria

Five Ways Trump’s Unnerving Decision on Syria Has Seriously Harmed Israel

EXCLUSIVE: TURKEY ATTACKS US SPECIAL FORCES IN SYRIA, APPARENTLY BY MISTAKE

U.S. forces say Turkey was deliberately ‘bracketing’ American troops with artillery fire in Syria

‘Betrayal leaves a bitter taste’: spurned Kurds flee Turkish onslaught

OUR WSMV Nancy Amons with Pompeo:

U.N. Security Council members divided on Turkey’s military action in Syria

Editorial: Trump stabs a stalwart ally in the back

Why Republicans care so much about the Kurds — and so little about the Constitution

Turkey bans critical reports on military operation in Syria, detains 2 journalists

Mattis warns ISIS could resurge: ‘Enemy gets the vote’ after Trump’s announced troop pullout

U.S. Forces Leave ‘High-Value’ ISIS Detainees Behind in Retreat From Syria

Hundreds of ISIS Supporters Flee Detention Amid Turkish Airstrikes

Isis prisoners escape amid chaos of Turkish attack against Kurds

Isis militants break out of prison in Syria after bombing by Turkey

New fears raised about ISIS resurgence as Turkish military operation in Syria continues

Inside Turkey’s offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria

Why did Trump betray the Kurds? The rationales make no sense.

Trump Reinforces Middle Easterners’ View of U.S. as Unreliable and Weak

Trump abandoning Kurds could cost support of evangelical Christians

‘Border on fire’ as Turkey intensifies Syria campaign

Turkey’s offensive into Syria: More casualties, displacement

Turkey’s Erdogan threatens to send Syrian refugees to Europe

Opinion: Why Trump’s betrayal of the Kurds could reverberate globally

This Army Veteran Went to Syria for the Kurds. He Can’t Believe What Trump Is Doing.

Must Watch Video (has some dirty words, HBO, John Oliver)

Trump under pressure to respond to Turkey’s offensive in Syria as death toll rises

A Tale of Two Battles

‘The Only Person Capable of Preventing This Disaster Is President Trump’

The President of the United States just tweeted:

AS MANY AS 100,000 MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISPLACED BY TURKISH OFFENSIVE IN SYRIA, RIGHTS GROUPS SAY

The Question Trump Republicans Must Ask Themselves

Republican Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois:

GOP congressman ‘heartbroken’ over President’s Syria moves and says he no longer supports Trump

Are you Pro-Kurds or Anti-Kurds Lindsey Graham?

BUT

Lindsey Graham dishes on Trump in hoax calls with Russians

The substance of Graham’s conversation with Stolyarov, who was posing as Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, is newly relevant in light of the South Carolina senator’s push for sanctions on Turkey as punishment for their offensive against the Kurds in northern Syria. Graham labeled the Kurds a “threat” to Turkey in the call, seemingly contradicting what he has said publicly in recent days.

Graham also mentions Trump’s personal interest in a “Turkish bank case” in the call that appears to refer to a U.S. case involving Reza Zarrab, an Iranian-Turkish gold trader and client of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.  Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Trump had asked then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in 2017 to help persuade the Justice Department to drop the Zarrab case.

But Graham also expressed sympathy for Turkey’s “Kurdish problem” and described the Kurds as a “threat.” Those private comments appear to contradict his public statements this week, in which he criticized Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria because it’s “wrong to abandon the Kurds, who have been strong allies against” the Islamic State.

“Your YPG Kurdish problem is a big problem,” Graham told the pranksters. He was referring to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, a group that began fighting ISIS as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces in 2015—with support from the U.S.—but is considered a terrorist group by Turkey because of its push to establish an autonomous state for the Kurds on the Turkish-Syrian border.

“I told President Trump that Obama made a huge mistake in relying on the YPG Kurds,” Graham continued. “Everything I worried about has come true, and now we have to make sure Turkey is protected from this threat in Syria. I’m sympathetic to the YPG problem, and so is the president, quite frankly.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/10/lindsey-graham-trump-hoax-call-043991

We Found Out!

Syria critic Lindsey Graham reverses stance, says Trump’s policy could succeed

Lindsey Graham Now Says He Supports Trump on Syria Pullout

There are two GOP camps now, quitters and Trump apologists. Sad!

Turkey, Iran, gold, Giuliani and Trump: A guide to the case of Reza Zarrab

Syria policy wasn’t broke. Why is Donald Trump wrecking it?

Trump Flies Into the Cuckoo’s Nest

Trump will claim Syria as a win — no matter how bad it gets

Turkey wants to destroy us. Trump just gave them a green light.

Trump has opened the door for an Islamic State resurgence in Syria

Col. Jack Jacobs: Trump’s remarks on Syria show an ‘almost painful ignorance’

And Pentagon officials privately expressed their anger over Mr. Trump’s sudden and unplanned shift in what had been American policy for years to oppose Turkey’s longtime desire to seize territory across its border with Syria.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/09/us/politics/trump-syria-turkey-attacks.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Trump Calls Turkey’s Syrian Offensive a ‘Bad Idea,’ but Opposes ‘Senseless Wars’

Turkey launches military offensive in Syria

How Trump just destroyed his own Syria strategy

Trump’s Retreat in Syria Is Dishonorable and Will Cost American Lives

Trump defends Syria move: The Kurds ‘didn’t help us’ in Normandy‘

Here is where Trump heard the word “Normandy”

Critics Aghast As Trump Keeps Word About No More Wars

Germany didn’t help us either….

Trump’s bizarre reason for abandoning the Kurds in Syria

Turkey’s Syria invasion: Member of US Special Forces says, ‘I am ashamed for the first time in my career’

Donald Trump’s betrayal will rattle the Middle East to the core

Too Late Now Lindsey Graham and GOP!

Republican anger at Trump grows as Turkey launches ‘sickening’ attack on US allies

TRUMP TURNED HIS BACK ON SYRIAN KURDS. HERE’S HOW THEY VIEW THEIR NEW PRECARIOUS POSITION.

Turkey begins airstrikes and operations in northern Syria

Turkey begins attack on Kurds in northeast Syria, Erdoğan announces

Nobody Knows What the Hell Trump Is Doing in Northern Syria

In Syria, Kurdish Fighters Prepare to Battle Turkey as Residents Fret

Trump’s Shameful Abandonment of the Kurds

Pentagon won’t take over Islamic State prisons if U.S.-allied Kurdish forces withdraw, officials say

UN ‘preparing for the worst’ amid looming Turkey operation in Syria

The impact of pulling U.S. troops from the Syria-Turkey border

Israelis Watch U.S. Abandon Kurds, and Worry: Who’s Next?

The Danger of Abandoning Our Partners

The US withdrawal from northern Syria creates the perfect climate for war crimes

Chaos in Syria, Washington after Trump call with Erdogan unleashed Turkish military

‘My Great and Unmatched Wisdom’: Trump Ignores Warnings on Syria Retreat, Threatens to ‘Destroy’ Turkish Economy

The attack on the Kurds has begun (That Didn’t Take Long!)

Did OUR Military Know Trump was going to do this?

Top US general says Trump did not consult him on Syria announcement

Top Military Officers Unload on Trump

Trump’s former ISIS envoy slams Syria decision: ‘Donald Trump is not a Commander-in-Chief’

The Former U.S. ISIS Envoy on Trump and the Crisis in Syria

US to step aside for Turkish assault on Kurds in Syria

EXCLUSIVE: OFFICIAL WHO HEARD CALL SAYS TRUMP GOT ‘ROLLED’ BY TURKEY AND ‘HAS NO SPINE’

The Humiliation of Lindsey Graham

Nikki Haley criticizes Trump’s Syria withdrawal: Leaving allies to die ‘is a big mistake‘

Engel: ‘Absolute concern’ over WH Syria announcement

Senators call for Trump administration to testify on Syria

Republican allies blast Trump’s decision to hand northern Syria over to Turkey

The Latest: McConnell splits with Trump on Syria pullout

Trump’s Motives Are Anybody’s Guess

I have a guess:

Reminder: Trump Has a Massive Conflict of Interest in Turkey

Turkey threatens military operation into Syria against American-backed Kurdish forces

December 20, 2018:

Turkey threatens to ‘bury’ Kurdish forces in Syria amid U.S. withdrawal

Earlier Today BEFORE Trump Did This (We know the Pentagon was not involved in the decision):

THEN:

U.S. says it will stand aside as Turkey moves into Syria

THIS IS WRONG DONALD TRUMP!

TRUMP TOWERS ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Turkey to “invade” northern Syria, take captured ISIS fighters held by Kurdish forces, White House says

 

Nashville’s ‘Little Kurdistan’: A Brief History And Guide

The history of Kurdistan: why Britain owes a debt to the Kurdish people

Conflict Between Turkey and Armed Kurdish Groups

The State of the Turkish-Kurdish Conflict

Kurdistan referendum results: 93% of Iraqi Kurds vote for independence, say reports

Why Genocide?

Trump trying to be 1 for 9!

How ISIS Returns

Nadia Murad’s vow to take ISIS to court, and her heartbreaking return home

Islamic State fight paused as Turkey invades northern Syria

Intel officials say ISIS could regroup after U.S. ‘betrayal’ of Kurds in Syria

President Obama Is Not the ‘Founder of ISIS.’ Here’s Who Really Started It