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The report says there is no evidence of a systematic policy of ethnic
cleansing. I'm not too sure many people made that claim. The various
reports, from a variety of sources (eg the anti-ISIS group 'Raqqa is
Being Slaughtered Silently'), that show the YPG uprooted people,
destroyed property, prevented return etc, are too many to be false, and
in any case this report gives plenty of dirt on YPG actions (as it does
on all players). Nick wants to show that it doesn't show the worst,
which is true, but it does show that the YPG is not perfect, which
should be considered by those who have romanticised this current to the
point that they are the only "true revolutionaries", any allegation
against them is just Turkish or ISUS slander, whereas every allegation
against other rebels are undoubtedly true and proof that they are little
more than a jihadist jungle.
In addition, let's not forget that the report is only for the second
half of 2016 and early 2017, whereas most of the worst allegations
against YPG crimes were from 2014 through early 2016.
Nick writes, in relation to Roy Gutman, that "he seems to be a cruise
missile liberal who's a shill for Erdogan." Not sure that the first and
second parts of that sentence necessarily connect; I suppose it depends
on concrete circumstances. Does he advocate US send its air-force to
bomb the Kurds on behalf of Erdogan? Not that I am aware of. But, for
example, do "cruise missile leftists" not advocate things like US
intervention, use of the US air-force to bomb countries, even killing
significant numbers of civilians, the sending of hundreds of US special
forces into countries to back forces they support, the setting up of US
bases in foreign countries etc etc? Not sure that Gutman advocates all
that. But is your definition affected by the fact that the US does all
these things in Syria in support, almost solely, of the YPG/SDF? (and
when not in support of the YPG/SDF, in support of Assad).
-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Fredman via Marxism
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 2:01 PM
To: Michael Karadjis
Subject: Re: [Marxism] UN Syria Commission clears YPG/J and SDF of
ethnic cleansing charges
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Well too bad. I don't much stock at all in instant dismissal of evidence
because of the apparent predilections of the messenger, especially with
regard to Syria, about which it seems to be a particularly widespread
mechanism that allows people to stay in their comfortable bubble and not
even look at anything they know they won't like. It's fair enough that
some
people's agenda make one suspicious about how objective their evidence
is,
but it's a pretty weak argument to stop at that. You don't seem to be
even
starting at that, unless you think of some agenda a particular UN
official
has in ordering her minions to doctor the evidence about alleged YPG and
SDF war crimes. And that the SNC and SOHR, who've also rebutted the
"ethnic
cleansing" claims, also have such an agenda. I've criticised Roy Gutman
and
called his Nation articles rubbish not just because he seems to be a
cruise
missile liberal who's a shill for Erdogan, but also because at least two
of
his sources have complained about his distortion of their words, because
this has also happened in his previous work, because he leaves crucial
facts out, because claims made by his anonymous sources are often absurd
and/or completely contradicted by other evidence, etc.
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