T. Belman. I refuse to join the Trump pile on. Although it is easy to be critical of Trump’s withdrawal of forces, I maintain that he is serving a hidden agenda, which, when achieved, will validate his withdrawal.
Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted on Sunday. “This decision by President Trump will be a game changer – in all the wrong ways – for Turkey.” I believe that too.
Syrian troops have already entered the fray pursuant to an agreement between Syria and the Kurds. “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,” Mazlum Abdi, the overall commander of SDF forces, said in an op-ed published by Foreign Policy magazine on Sunday.
BY
Johny Messo, President of the World Council of Arameans (WCA; indigenous Syriac speaking Middle Eastern Christians), has written thoughtfully and sympathetically about Zionism as a (belated) prototype for “Arameanism,” though he guardedly refrains from “championing” Zionism, outright, today. Mr. Messo, nonetheless, does not appear to have imbibed in any way the vitriolic Antisemitic persuasions one too frequently encounters, sadly, among Middle Eastern Christians (rooted in continued promotion of the Deicide allegation, and rejection of Vatican II’s ecumenism toward Jews and Judaism). Indeed, Mr. Messo expressed his sincere gratitude when Israel became the first nation to officially recognize Aramean during September, 2014, as a unique national identity within its population registry, and the WCA invited the first registered Aramean from Israel to present a statement of recognition on behalf of the Arameans worldwide at the U.N. The WCA’s press release a month later further included this remarkable statement about Israel’s indigenous Christian population, and their growing tendency to reject “Arabization”—consistent with Messo’s earlier sympathetic posture toward Zionism:
Mainly due to the interrelated processes of Arabicization and Arabization, most of the Christians started to perceive themselves as “Arabs.” Recently, however, an increasing number of them have started to rediscover their authentic roots and have chosen to reclaim their Aramean identity and to learn anew the Aramaic mother tongue of their forefathers.
Mr. Messo is also gimlet eyed and unapologetic about Muslim Turkey, including the Kemalist ethno-racist state, as can be gleaned from extracts of his November 2010 address on the failure of “Turkish democracy”:
…T]he Arameans were never granted formal recognition by Turkey as a “minority” such as formulated in this [1923 Lausanne] Convention. Consequently, they have never enjoyed their basic human rights which include, for example, the foundation of Aramean schools, hospitals and even new churches. On that account, one could boldly state that the religious freedom of the Arameans is even more restricted than that of the Christian Greek and Armenian nations who are recognized by Turkey. …I question why is Turkey interfering with Israel’s internal affairs while it has not solved its own domestic situation? And why, in fact, is Turkey able to readily invest 150 million dollars in Palestine and translate its words into action, whereas it continues to neglect its own citizens and society in its very own backyard?…Is Turkey ready to invest structurally in its south-eastern terrain, above all in improving the security, infrastructure and facilities for normal life circumstances there that may draw Aramean refugees back to the land of their ancestors? .. Turkey should embrace and integrate the native Arameans as an ambitious people who can enrich it culturally, intellectually, spiritually and economically. With their experience in the Western diaspora, the Arameans may even become beneficial to Turkey in assisting Turkish society in the ongoing process of democratization…
Free of the Middle East’s Antisemitic baggage, clear headed about Turkey, and experientially knowledgeable about the fanatical Marxist Kurdish militias of the Syria-Turkey border areas as well (here; here; here; here; here; here), Johny Messo and his indigenous Christian organization are ideally suited to weigh in on the Trump Administration decision to withdraw troops from the (70+-year ongoing) Syrian morass. Below is the WCA/Messo press release in its entirety, issued October 9, 2019:
“Syrian Christians Proclaim ‘Trump is right on Syria!’ YPG Kurds are responsible for escalation in Northeast Syria,” World Council of Arameans, October 9, 2019:
“President Trump is right on Syria!,” according to Johny Messo, the President of the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) (“WCA”). Withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria and halting financial and arms support to the YPG Kurds may help restore peace and security in Syria. Messo further argues that “the YPG Kurds are responsible for the current escalation in the northeast and that they hold the key for peace in this part of our ancestral homeland.”
1) President Trump made the right decision in withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria to end the “ridiculous endless wars,” fulfilling yet another campaign promise; he already ended the covert CIA program of 2013 to arm the “rebels” in Syria. America’s mission to destroy the Caliphate and military power of ISIS was achieved in March 2019. So there was no cogent reason to stay in Syria, let alone to keep arming the YPG Kurds. Staying rather than leaving would be a greater security threat and burden for America.
2) Trump’s edict may lead to peace, security and stability in Syria. Despite the powerful war narrative and war lobby, Trump shows the world that America chooses peace and jobs at home above wars abroad. If other countries follow suit, primarily those whose foreign policies largely follow America’s course, and stop arming their proxies, violence will soon end. Then one can finally focus on seeking a genuine political solution for Syria, beginning in a few weeks through the UN-facilitated Constitutional Committee.
3) The PKK and the PYD/YPG Kurds, who control the SDF, are two sides of the same coin. The communist ideology and violent nature of these nationalist organizations discredit democratic and liberal values. These ‘heroes’ have oppressed vulnerable Arameans, taken their innocent lives, Kurdified their lands and still use a tiny Christian group as their mouthpiece to represent Kurdish interests. The resentment against the YPG among the locals is prevalent, yet underreported. In due time, their authoritarian governance would likely lead to an ISIS 2.0 among the local Arabs, who outnumber the Kurds, mainly among Arab nationalists and among conservative Arab and Kurdish Muslims.
4) The YPG Kurds had ample time and opportunities to take away the security concerns of Damascus and/or Ankara. Inspired by North Iraq, the envisioned autonomous Kurdish region in North Syria would give a huge boost to the PKK Kurds in Southeast Turkey. Instead of striking a deal for their people, though, Western support made them haughty. The YPG did not calculate or care about the high risks involved in its determination to first craft an autonomous region in North Syria and then a statelet called “Kurdistan.”
5) By pursuing their own agenda, the nationalist PYD/YPG Kurds have acted irresponsibly, endangering the lives of their own people and those of Arameans and other minorities! Whenever a village, town or city fell in their hands, they proudly raised Kurdish flags and nationalist symbols on the buildings, and displayed images of the jailed PKK leader. It was only a matter of time until Damascus would reclaim control over Northeast Syria or until Ankara would unilaterally resolve its growing security concerns at its border. That day has come, and Aramean civilians now suffer due to the YPG’s irresponsibility.
6) Unlike the Aramean Christians and Yazidis, the YPG Kurds received protection and huge amounts of money, arms and airpower from America to defeat ISIS. The Kurds should always remain grateful to America, which never promised them an eternal partnership. The YPG Kurds should have used their privileged position to focus on Syria’s unity and strike a peace deal with Syria and/or Turkey. In particular because they should have known that America would never sacrifice its relations with a fellow state, huge trade partner and established NATO ally for a rather impulsive non-state actor whose mother organization after all is officially designated by the U.S.A. as a terrorist organization.
7) The PKK/PYD/YPG Kurds must give up the armed struggle for autonomy and the idea of a state called “Kurdistan” in the homeland of the Arameans and their Aramaic language! Our region has become weary of wars. They only destroy our common land and the lives of our loved ones and families, causing animosity toward one another. As the indigenous people of Southeast Turkey and Northeast Syria, we call upon the PKK/PYD/YPG to end its violent struggle for independence so that Arameans, Kurds, Arabs and Turks can work together on a mutually enriching co-existence between different ethnicities, religions and languages in Turkey and Syria. Whether in Southeast Turkey or Northeast Syria, the PKK/PYD/YPG Kurds hold the key in their hands to peace, security and prosperity for their own people and for other peoples in the lands which we need to be sharing today.
@ Ted Belman:
I don’t think the worst of Trump. In fact I have been supportive and have agreed with most of his policies. But I’ve been concerned that of late he’s being influenced by the code pink Republicans.
@ Laura:
I am dissapointed in you Laura.. I follow the conservtive media closely. They support Trump because they like his policies. They only complain when he backs off his policies.. And many questioned his troop withdrawal.. My position is let’s wait and see where this thing goes. before we condemn it. I have no reason not to give him the benefit of the doubt. I have no reason to think the worst of him and every reason to support him even though I don’t know what he is doing.
@ Lorensacho:
Instead of attacking me,make yopur case. Oh forgot that’s the Dem’s MO. JUst smear your opponents.
Mr. Messo’s organization represents the “Syraic” and “Assyrian” communities in Syria and Turkey, not all Christians. In fact he also represents the many Assyrian and Syraic Christians who have taken refuge in The United States and Europe in recent years, to escape from persecution in the Middle East. The Syraic and Assyrian Christians are religious sects that use Aramaic as their litergical language, although they now speak Arab as their colloquial, everyday language
The Aramaean communities are divided into two separate Church federations– the Syraics, who are a “Uniate” Church that recognizes the supreme spiritual authority of the Catholic Church, and has in return been given permission to keep their traditional Aramaic liturgy and religious practices, and to be governed by their own patriarchs and bishops,, although subject to the ultimate authority of the Pope.
The Assyrians, on the other hand. Are a completely independent Aramaean church.
I believe his motive for supporting the Turkish invasion is that he believes that the Syraic Christians are being better treated in Turkey than in the Kurdish-ruled regions of Northeast Syria. He writes on Facebook that 70% of Assyrian-Syraic Christians have fled northeast Syria since 2011. That is when the Syrian civil war began and the Kurds began to carve out an autonimous zone for themselves in Northeast Syria.
It is possible that the Kurds have discriminated agains the Syraic-Assyrians in their autonimous area, since they are Arab-speaking, not Kurdish speaking, and they are not Kurds. There are also many Arabic speaking Sunni Muslims living in northeast Syria,and they have also complained that they are discriminated against by the Kurds.
Although Erdogan and his predecessors as Turkey’s rulers oppressed the Sraics and Assyrians for decades, if not centuries, there have been reports that Erdogan has been treating them better in the last few years, apparently in the hope that he can use them against the Kurds.
The Western media, which supports the Kurds because of their work in fighting ISIS, has ignored the internal policies of the Kurdish autonimous regime in northeast Syria. It has reported nothing about how the Kurdish leaders rule these territories, or how they tread the many non_kurds in this region. Perhaps Mr. Messo knows more about this subject than westerm and Israeli journalisst, who are by and large committed to the Kurdish cause.
Messo also expresses concern about the “communist “ideology of the Syrian Kurdish leaders. It is true that they describe themselves as communists. In Communist countries, nearly all religious groups have been subject to discrimination and persecution, including many Christian denominations.
I still think that Mr. Messo and the WCA that he leads are making a serious mistake. Erdogan is aligned with the Syrian Sunni jihadists, and plans to move their militias from northwest Syria, where Assad, Hizbollah and Russia are pounding them, and transfer them to northeast Syria, where some Syriac-Assyrian Christians live. The Sunni jihadists hate all “infidels,” have connections to al-Qaeda and ISIS. The Aramaean Christians in northeast Syria can expect to be massacred by these Sunni jihadist warriors. The Kurdish leaders may not be all that fair to non-Kurds, but it is extremely unlikely that they are as brutal to them as the Sunni jihadists are likely to be.
Ted, you would support Trump even if he amputated the right hand of every Democrat in Congress simply because he supports Israel. Why not just say this and skip publishing the tortured conspiracies blabbered out by Trump supporters.
@ Bear Klein:
I don’t expect Trump to betray Israel, however if he ever did, the conservative movement would turn against Israel in a heartbeat. As the conservative movement stands now, it has become a movement of cult followers, in knee-jerk fashion defending whatever decisions Trump makes.
Trump has my appreciation for his Israel relationship and his lowering of taxes and regulations which greatly helped the USA economy.
However, when it comes to Syria, Turkey and the Kurds he flat blew four tires all at once.
He has strengthen Iran, Assad and Russia in the middle east and betrayed the Kurdish SDF troops on the ground who fought ISIS losing 11,000 fighters in the process. The USA trained the SDF and it was done for mutual benefit.
Now ISIS fighters are escaping from Kurdish prisons or secured camps. The Turks have bombed some of these places. Trump has said the Kurds are doing it on purpose to get the USA back. A very defensive comment. NO President Trump this is occurring because you betrayed a true ally the fighting men and women of the SDF (largely Kurds but also moderate Arabs).