Donald Trump made one of the worst calls in American History: giving authoritarian Turkish President Recep Erdogan a green light to the Kurds’ homeland. There have been two reported cases of war crimes and Kurdish children burned with white phosphorous as Turkey let loose its most vicious soldiers. Yet, Kurdish General Mazloum Abd h has been making nice with POTUS. Why?
The general recently said:
‘We are now standing with our chests bare to face the Turkish knives.’
The man currently sitting in the Oval Office has been interested in Syria’s oil fields. He tweeted about them again today, vowing to “never let a reconstituted ISIS have those fields:
‘The Oil Fields discussed in my speech on Turkey/Kurds yesterday were held by ISIS until the United States took them over with the help of the Kurds. We will NEVER let a reconstituted ISIS have those fields!’
Trump has been talking to the general. He tweeted “I appreciate what the Kurds have done.” He suggested they head “to the oil region:”
‘I really enjoyed my conversation with General @MazloumAbdi. He appreciates what we have done, and I appreciate what the Kurds have done. Perhaps it is time for the Kurds to start heading to the Oil Region!’
The general penned an interesting article published in The Foreign Policy on October 13. He has been the commander-in-chief of the more accurately described Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with 70,000 soldiers fighting against jihadi extremism, ethnic hatred, and the oppression of women since 2015. They have become a very disciplined, professional fighting force. He also said they “never fired a single bullet toward Turkey.”
‘I have always told our forces, this war is ours! The jihadi terrorists of the Islamic State came to Syria from all over the world. We are the ones who should fight them, because they have occupied our lands, looted our villages, killed our children, and enslaved our women.’
Trump suggested they head to the oil fields The general explained why the U.S. was interested in Syria’s oil:
 ‘Before the war, Syria produced 387,000 barrels per day of which 140,000 bpd were exported. Most of this oil came from Eastern Syria, which is now under the control of the U.S.-backed SDF. Currently, the Syrian oil industry is a shadow of its former self due to the civil war.’
General Mazloum Abd h lost 11,000 of his fighters against ISIS (Islamic State terrorist). They also protected the Americans and other allied forces, because “[They] are our partners:”
‘Amid the lawlessness of war, we always stuck with our ethics and discipline, unlike many other nonstate actors. We defeated al Qaeda, we eradicated the Islamic State, and, at the same time, we built a system of good governance based on small government, pluralism, and diversity. We provided services through local governing authorities for Arabs, Kurds, and Syriac Christians. We called on a pluralistic Syrian national identity that is inclusive for all. This is our vision for Syria’s political future: decentralized federalism, with religious freedom and respect for mutual differences.’
The military may have been defending 33 percent of Syria against Turkey and its jihadi mercenaries. As such, the Kurds have had “a safe refuge” from:”
‘…genocides and ethnic cleansings committed by Turkey against the Kurds, Syriacs, Assyrians, and Armenians during the last two centuries.’
His soldiers have also guarded over 12,000 members of ISIS prisoners and protected/guarded their “radicalized wives and children:”
‘[T]heir radicalized wives and children. We also protect this part of Syria from Iranian militias. When the whole world failed to support us, the United States extended its hands. We shook hands and appreciated its generous support. At Washington’s request, we agreed to withdraw our heavy weapons from the border area with Turkey, destroy our defensive fortifications, and pull back our most seasoned fighters. Turkey would never attack us so long as the U.S. government was true to its word with us.’
He continued along a surprising path regarding Trump:
‘President Donald Trump has been promising for a long time to withdraw U.S. troops. We understand and sympathize. Fathers want to see their children laughing on their laps, lovers want to hear the voices of their partners whispering to them, everyone wants to go back to their homes.’
General Mazloum Abd h did not ask for American combat soldiers. What the general wanted was for the U.S. to provide them with a “political solution:”
‘We, however, are not asking for American soldiers to be in combat. We know that the United States is not the world police. But we do want the United States to acknowledge its important role in achieving a political solution for Syria. We are sure that Washington has sufficient leverage to mediate a sustainable peace between us and Turkey.’
The Kurds, of course, are not perfect, but they are and have been a democracy:
‘We believe in democracy as a core concept, but in light of the invasion by Turkey and the existential threat its attack poses for our people, we may have to reconsider our alliances. The Russians and the Syrian regime have made proposals that could save the lives of millions of people who live under our protection. We do not trust their promises. To be honest, it is hard to know whom to trust.’
Then, the general added what his choices may be:
‘We know that we would have to make painful compromises with Moscow and Bashar al-Assad if we go down the road of working with them. But if we have to choose between compromises and the genocide of our people, we will surely choose life for our people.’
The military leader ended with two questions:
‘The reason we allied ourselves with the United States is our core belief in democracy. We are disappointed and frustrated by the current crisis. Our people are under attack, and their safety is our paramount concern. Two questions remain: How can we best protect our people? And is the United States still our ally?’
Twitter world lit up. Take a look at some of our favorites below:
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
