Al-Bab emboldens Syrian opposition
The success achieved in the al-Bab operation, which was carried out in cooperation with Turkish forces against Daesh militants, has increased the self-confidence of the Syrian moderate opposition
Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield, launched to clear its borders of Daesh militants, seems to have produced a divide that has created a twist in the Syrian equation: Bringing together moderate opposition Syrian groups and showing them what can be achieved if they are united.
When Turkey entered Syrian territory to clear Daesh from their border areas and swiftly captured the border town of Jarablus with the help of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which only has around 2,000 to 3,000 fighters, the Syrian opposition seemed to be in deep disarray.
But as Operation Euphrates Shield progressed and the FSA managed to gain more ground with the help of Turkish air support and armory, their ranks started to grow and more opposition groups and fighters joined the campaign.
Thus today the FSA and its allies seem to number around 10,000 and still growing strong.
Taking al-Bab was a major morale booster for the Syrian opposition. They saw what can be achieved through unity and thus the FSA turned into a major fighting force.
The Americans continue to underestimate the potential of the FSA and the opposition but they were dead wrong when they said a month before the capture of al-Bab that the FSA and the Turkish forces could not fulfill the mission. The U.S. had said that they were in a deadlock and that more forces and Turkish armory were needed.
But long behold, it seems that they are dead wrong yet again.The American generals are being short sighted, as usual. No wonder they made such a mess of Iraq.
The U.S. military officials still insist on trying to capture the Syrian city of Raqqa with the help of the Kurdish militants from the PKK terrorist organization's armed Syrian wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG).
They have written off Turkey and the FSA and are set on carrying out a major offensive with the Kurdish militants, affiliated with the PKK. So they have armed them with heavy weaponry, trained them and they have provided them with logistical support.
What they have forgotten, however, is that the Arab tribes around Raqqa and inside the city detest the Kurdish militants. Those who would have normally cooperated with the U.S. to liberate Raqqa will not be at all enthusiastic about helping the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to take the city this time around.
On the contrary, they may try to stall by refusing to cooperate. They know well that the PKK- affiliated terrorists will enter their homes and try to settle there.
Another important thing that the Americans have forgotten (at least we hope that they have forgotten and they are not doing this to create a Kurdish state) is that the heavy arms and the facilities they have provided to the Kurdish militants affiliated to the PKK secessionist terrorists will later be used against Turkey.
It is all too evident that PKK terrorists could very well try to use these heavy arms against Turkish forces in their secessionist war.
Let's hope the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson can do some explaining on these issues when he comes to Ankara on March 30.
What is clear is that the Syrian opposition has been heartened by the success of their comrades in the northern areas thanks to Turkey. That is why they also took a bold step to launch attacks on Damascus last week and entered the heart of the Assad regime.
When Turkey entered Syrian territory to clear Daesh from their border areas and swiftly captured the border town of Jarablus with the help of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which only has around 2,000 to 3,000 fighters, the Syrian opposition seemed to be in deep disarray.
But as Operation Euphrates Shield progressed and the FSA managed to gain more ground with the help of Turkish air support and armory, their ranks started to grow and more opposition groups and fighters joined the campaign.
Thus today the FSA and its allies seem to number around 10,000 and still growing strong.
Taking al-Bab was a major morale booster for the Syrian opposition. They saw what can be achieved through unity and thus the FSA turned into a major fighting force.
The Americans continue to underestimate the potential of the FSA and the opposition but they were dead wrong when they said a month before the capture of al-Bab that the FSA and the Turkish forces could not fulfill the mission. The U.S. had said that they were in a deadlock and that more forces and Turkish armory were needed.
But long behold, it seems that they are dead wrong yet again.The American generals are being short sighted, as usual. No wonder they made such a mess of Iraq.
The U.S. military officials still insist on trying to capture the Syrian city of Raqqa with the help of the Kurdish militants from the PKK terrorist organization's armed Syrian wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG).
They have written off Turkey and the FSA and are set on carrying out a major offensive with the Kurdish militants, affiliated with the PKK. So they have armed them with heavy weaponry, trained them and they have provided them with logistical support.
What they have forgotten, however, is that the Arab tribes around Raqqa and inside the city detest the Kurdish militants. Those who would have normally cooperated with the U.S. to liberate Raqqa will not be at all enthusiastic about helping the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to take the city this time around.
On the contrary, they may try to stall by refusing to cooperate. They know well that the PKK- affiliated terrorists will enter their homes and try to settle there.
Another important thing that the Americans have forgotten (at least we hope that they have forgotten and they are not doing this to create a Kurdish state) is that the heavy arms and the facilities they have provided to the Kurdish militants affiliated to the PKK secessionist terrorists will later be used against Turkey.
It is all too evident that PKK terrorists could very well try to use these heavy arms against Turkish forces in their secessionist war.
Let's hope the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson can do some explaining on these issues when he comes to Ankara on March 30.
What is clear is that the Syrian opposition has been heartened by the success of their comrades in the northern areas thanks to Turkey. That is why they also took a bold step to launch attacks on Damascus last week and entered the heart of the Assad regime.