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As the US-backed and armed YPG continues its murderous attacks and
conquests of rebel-held, Arab-majority towns in northern Aleppo
province, in direct alliance and coordination with the Russian
Blitzkrieg bombings, a number of Rojava-Firsters, unsure how to react,
have been muttering about the need for "evidence". I admit to being
confused about this demand, to show that the Russian mad bombers and
their YPG ground troops, which are attacking the same towns at the same
times, are actually working together. I was unsure whether this meant
some simply hadn't been reading the news, or whether it was a demand to
find secret documents proving coordination; because, for example, maybe
their attacking the same towns at the same time was just coincidence,
just a strange accident of history. Since I don't have these documents,
and consider the idea that it is all purely accidental to be unlikely, I
have just put together some "evidence" for those who simply haven't been
watching:
In the article
http://www.voanews.com/content/moderate-syrian-rebel-factions-face-wipe-out/3180474.html,
we read:
“YPG and rebel factions have been protecting civilians as they travel
from Azaz. But at the same time the YPG has launched attacks on Islamist
and moderate rebel factions around Afrin, seeking to expand the Kurdish
enclave. Russian airstrikes on Saturday helped Kurdish fighters
alongside militiamen from Jaysh al-Thwar, a YPG Sunni Arab ally, to
capture the strategic Tal Zinkah hill north of Aleppo,” and in the same
article, PYD leader Salih Muslim is quoted as saying that “the Russian
airstrikes are targeting terrorists, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra”
(these are the names Muslim always uses to describe all rebels).
Likewise, in the article
http://syriadirect.org/news/side-campaign-in-north-aleppo-raises-fears-of-sdf-linking-kobani-to-afrin/,
reporting on the SDF capture of the Minagh airbase, we read that in the
lead-up to this capture:
“Russian warplanes, which have been essential to the Syrian regime's
progress in the north, bombed rebel positions around the Minagh airport
Wednesday as battles raged between the SDF and rebels, reported
pro-opposition Aleppo News Network Wednesday. A war journalist present
at the airport front confirmed to Syria Direct that Russian planes had
carried out 16 airstrikes Wednesday on rebel positions there. On
Tuesday, the SDF took control of two villages and a military base on the
outskirts of the Minagh military airport” (and captured the base on
Wednesday).
The same article, also reports on the eminently just and sensible truce
negotiated at the end of the December skirmishes between the FSA and the
YPG/SDF, stipulating that “the FSA would not move towards
Kurdish-controlled areas and vice-versa.” It is fairly obvious who broke
that truce, as the article continues:
“This week’s incursion into rebel-held areas in northern Aleppo is the
fourth truce violation between them and the Marea Operations Room,
Mohammed Najem a-Din, correspondent with pro-opposition Smart News, told
Syria Direct Wednesday. “The SDF and Jaish al-Thuwwar have taken
advantage of rebels being busy fighting the regime on Nubl and Zahraa”
in order to make gains into their territory, said Najem a-Din.”
Syrian Observer
(http://www.syrianobserver.com/EN/News/30560/Syrian_Democratic_Forces_Advance_Towards_Tel_Rifaat_Under_Russian_Air_Support)
reported that:
“The Western-backed Syrian Democratic Forces achieved a significant
military victory in the area of Tel Rifaat in the northern Aleppo
countryside, seizing control of the village of Kafrnaya to its south …
one day after they captured Ayn Daqnah, in an effort to blockade the
town from three sides. The sources said that Russian warplanes had been
providing covering fire for the SDF during its attempt to enter the town
and attacked opposition positions with dozens of rockets and bombs.”
According to Scott Lucas
(http://eaworldview.com/2016/02/syria-daily-kurdish-pyd-we-will-not-pull-back-v-turkey-and-rebels/):
“With rebels under pressure from a regime-Russian-Iranian-Hezbollah
offensive north of Aleppo city, Kurdish forces began advancing earlier
this month into rebel areas, taking a series of villages and the town of
Deir Jawad on the Turkish border. … Despite the Turkish intervention,
the Kurdish forces are still advancing. They captured Ayn Daqna, east of
Azaz, on Sunday. They also are continuing assaults on the important town
of Tal Rifaat, having been repelled on Friday and Saturday. Russia is
now openly supporting the Kurdish attacks with airstrikes — at least 15
were reported on Tal Rifaat on Sunday.”
Lucas report also noted that the media activist Ahmad Khatib “was killed
in the fighting for Tal Rifaat,” as was his brother.
Meanwhile, another excellent article by Roy Gutman
(http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/02/16/syria-ceasefire-brings-turkey-closer-to-war/)
has just appeared, where he writes:
“Moscow actually stepped up its barrage of missiles and cluster bombs
targeting primarily rebel-held towns close to Aleppo and on their main
supply route to Turkey. Russia has even coordinated its airstrikes with
the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, which captured
towns and villages held by anti-Assad rebels after an intensive bombing
campaign,” going on to give some stunning detail:
“In Tal Rifaat, a town of 30,000 that lies close to the main route from
Turkey to Aleppo, Russian aircraft carried out an average 100 airstrikes
a day this past weekend, emptying the town of its inhabitants and
thousands of displaced, who fled to the Turkish border, according to
humanitarian aid officials. The YPG captured the town on Monday.”
Gutman continues with the claim that:
“Faced with a manpower shortage, the Assad regime is relying on the
Kurdish YPG to seize key real estate from rebels on the main route to
Turkey.”
I mean, is all this what is meant by evidence? Or is this all just
coincidence?
Meanwhile, there have been so many tweets/direct reports from the field
of YPG attacks/conquests with Russian air support that I could fill
pages with them, but hopefully the facts are now clear. Here’s a few:
Syrian Kurds backed by Russian airstrikes advance on Syrian airbase
http://rudaw.net/NewsDetails.aspx?pageid=193414
Aleppo: Syrian Rebels recaptured Al Alagamiyah & Al Shil'aa after heavy
clashes with YPG & treacherous so called "Jaish Thuwar"
https://twitter.com/Malcolmite/status/697120652218798080
YPG has sent an ultimatum to the FSA and Ahrar Al-Sham and other groups,
either give them the Menagh Airbase or they will take it militarily
https://twitter.com/VivaRevolt/status/697096507250581506
Following airstrikes by the Russian Air Force, the Kurdish People’s
Protection Unit (YPG) in the enclave of Afrin in northern Aleppo
province took control of Ziyarah
http://www.almasdarnews.com/.../ypg-take-ziyarah-in.../
YPG has captured Maarnaz from FSA-Ahrar Al-Sham.
https://twitter.com/VivaRevolt/status/696428417584070657
YPG seized Maranaz and Deir Jamal villages in northern Aleppo after
clashes with the rebels, mainly Shami front (former Tawheed brigade)
https://twitter.com/Abduhark/status/696646293536563200
YPG/Jaish al-Thuwar have taken Deir Jamal from the rebels , with Russian
air support https://twitter.com/Paradoxy13/status/696476896616390656
With Russian Airstrikes, YPG progressing around Azaz
https://twitter.com/DrPartizan_/status/695386827541184516
Kurds militias withdraw their positions surrounding #Azaz after heavy
clashes with #FSA HEROES. #Aleppo cs #Syria FEB 11
https://twitter.com/AEJKhalil/status/697894948109225984
Jim Rodney M points us to http://syria.liveuamap.com/en/time/01.02.2016,
which shows the day to day events; he says “the SAA and allies pushed up
through the east of Aleppo city while Russian bombers destroyed
everything in their path. They met resistance all along the way but
advanced to Nubl and Zahraa where they were then face to face with the
YPG between Dayr Jamal and Mayer but instead of confronting each other
they shared a battle line against free Syrians while the YPG advanced
west under Russian air power taking town after town culminating in
completely cutting Arab rebels off from Aleppo. … There is no other way
to describe the events other than to say the YPG and the Assadi axis are
allied with each other in a common assault against free Syrians; and now
Meanwhile, here is a link to the #Aleppo LCC, about meetings between
SDS, Russian and Assad regime representatives in Afrin, which claims
“The Russian side asserted to SDF intensifying the airstrikes on Izaz
city and Aleppo northern suburb so SDF can advance and take over
#Izaz city and #Tal_Rafaat town and Assad's forces can advance
toward Aleppo city,” as well as an earlier meeting where they allegedly
agreed for the SDF to take the Minigh airbase:
(https://www.facebook.com/LCCSY2011/posts/1720204668120076?fref=nf).
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