T. Belman. The Kurds are getting screwed. While most analysts call for a breakup of Syria, evidently Russia and the US want to keep it whole. Since the challenge is to create a Syrian government for a population which is 80% Sunni. How is this government going to control Islamist forces. On the other hand if the country is broken up, the Islamists will be in charge of the Sunni state.
This is a serious betrayal of the Kurds who have been doing most of the fighting and winning against ISIS.
Remember that both Russia and the US have rejected Israel’s annexation of the Golan and have said that the fate of Golan will be determined in a peace agreement with Syria.
KOBANE – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed Syria including the Kurdish issue for more than 12 hours, finishing this Saturday.
While Russia says Kurds should be included in future Syria talks, the United States says they do not support an independent Kurdish initiative.
“We are for a united Syria. We do not support an independent Kurd initiative,” Kerry said.
“There has been some limited engagement, as everybody knows, with a component of Kurd fighters on a limited basis, and we cooperated very closely with – with Turkey specifically to make sure that there was a clearer understanding of the rules by which that engagement would take place,” he added.
“They understand that. Now that Manbij city has been liberated, I think there are other expectations of what will take place, but we understand the sensitivities of our friends in Turkey with respect to this,” Kerry stated.
The U.S. Secretary of State also referred to the recent visit of US vice president Joe Biden to Ankara that angered Syrian Kurds for calling on the Kurdish forces to withdraw from Manbij, and supporting the Turkish operation in Jarabulus.
“Vice President Biden just visited and had lengthy conversations about it, and we will continue to work together for inclusivity within Syria as we seek a political solution,” he added.
On the other hands, Russian FM Lavrov said Kurds should fully participate in the political process as part of a united Syrian state.
“I’m convinced the Kurds should have a full-fledged representation in that process, should remain an integral part of the Syrian state and be part of a solution to the problem,” Lavrov said.
“(…) rather than a factor that someone will be using to split Syria, as the latter will trigger a chain reaction throughout the region while no one is interested in it,” he added.
“As for various aspects of Turkish presence on the Syrian territory, including the Kurdish factor which is so much written about these days, our U.S. counterparts and we confirmed the importance of an emergency resumption and start of a political process where all the Syrian parties should participate,” Lavrov,” he stated.
typical…and oh too sad
again illustrates JFKerry’s hypocrisy, recalling his prior commitment to trisecting Iraq to reflect regional ethnicities
Obama/Kerry world does not deal in current reality. It deals with pretense like Iraq is one whole and Syria is one whole.
It does not deal with the fact the Turkey is the process of evolving into an Islamic State and is not a real ally or is even democratic.
The Kurds are potentially the only Muslims in the area who accepting of minorities and other groups. They have been the only ally on the ground fighting ISIS. Yet now they are getting screwed royally by the USA.
How horrifying!!