Originally Posted by
dawg80
Let's get something straight before we get too bogged down in the minute details of "who's the blame?" The Turks, Erdogan, harbor longtime hatred for the ethnic group, the Kurds. They also fear a Kurdish homeland as 20% of present day Turkey has some, to a lot, of blood ties to the Kurds. Their historic homeland, Kurdistan, includes large tracts of land in present day Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia, as well as some in Jordan. Turkey fears a poplar uprising of Kurds in their country and even a movement toward re-establishing Kurdistan, even in part, is enough to make the Turks very nervous. This 20-mile wide zone is designed to cutoff contact between the Kurds in Turkey and those in Syria.Given the history of the cultural conflict between the Turks and the Kurds, everyone knew it was just a matter of time before the Turks struck the Kurds militarily. If it hadn't happened this week, it would have next month, next year, or whenever... it has never been a matter of "if" but of "when?" The more I research this...just read a lengthy article...the more I am convinced the US (Trump) had two choices. 1) keep US troops between the Kurds and the Turks until Kingdom come, or 2) withdraw and allow to happen what is happening. No way were the Kurds ever going to give up northern Syria without a fight. Aleppo was founded by the Kurds many centuries ago. They claim it as part of ancient Kurdistan, and there is historical records to support that claim. I wish we had managed this better. That is my biggest gripe. But, again, I'm not sure what could have been done...short of more warning to the Kurds, "We are leaving, and the Turks are invading. Now, do you wish US troops to escort you safely 20 miles south?" I'm not sure what we could have done.