Following up on:
Russian Forces Exit As Turkey Begins Afrin Operation?
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during a news conference at the United Nations in New York, U.S., January 19/2018
RT:
The US is working to create alternative government systems on large parts of Syrian territory, which goes against its promises to respect the country’s territorial integrity, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Responding to a question posed by RT’s Caleb Maupin at Friday's briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, Lavrov commented on America's role in the crisis in northern Syria, which escalated into a new Turkish-Kurdish conflict after news of Washington’s plans to create a “border force” comprising of Kurds.
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Despite the US backtracking on its statement, and saying they were misunderstood, Ankara, which considers the Kurdish-dominated YPG force terrorists, said it was launching a military operation against the Syrian Kurdish enclave. Lavrov, however, said the developments were only a part of the pattern of US policy in Syria.
“It’s a fact that US forces are seriously involved in creating alternative government bodies on vast part of the Syrian territory. And this, of course, absolutely contradicts their own obligations, which they committed to on numerous occasions, including at the UN Security Council, on maintaining the sovereignty and the territorial integrity on Syria,” Lavrov said.
Washington's inconsistency on Syria is also “quite characteristic of modern US diplomacy, including the reasons for the American presence there, and the reasons for the actions of the coalition, which they command,” Lavrov added
Rex Tillerson told me many times that the only reason for their presence there [in Syria] is defeating Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISL). Now they have some much more long-standing plans,” Lavrov said. “We will have to take this into account and look for solutions that won’t allow the destruction of Syrian sovereignty.”
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The US was misunderstood? I don't think so. Their intent has been very very clear in my opinion. "Oh lord please don't let me be misunderstood!"UPDATE:I've embedded the above map so we can grasp the localeFrom earlier today it was reported that Russian forces had exited Afrin, relocating around Nubl. Idlib is close by. Below is an article that talks about a planned pincer.Turkey's Pincer?
Newspaper details Turkey's planned "pincer attack" on Afrin
The Turkish pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak has published a detailed forecast of the planned military assault of the Syrian-Kurdish enclave of Afrin, northwest of Aleppo.Ankara has been making preparations to strike Afrin since news hit headlines last Sunday of plans to establish a U.S.-backed border force including fighters from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, considered terrorists by Turkey.
The operation will be take the form of a “flanking maneuver” conducted by two brigades of “specially trained” Turkish soldiers, according to the report.
The Afrin region is flanked to the north and west by Turkish territory, while the Turkish military is occupying regions along the Syrian-Turkish border to the east. Turkish-backed Syrian opposition militias have already begun engaging Kurdish forces in the nearby town of Azaz, according to reports on Friday.
The Turkish assault, which is to be commanded by 2nd Army commander Lt. General Metin Temel, will be conducted mainly by Turkish special forces and infantry due to the rocky terrain around Afrin, Yeni Şafak reported. Around 5,000 troops from the Free Syrian Army will serve as a vanguard in the operation, which will reportedly target the airports at Tel Rifaat and Minnigh as two of its main objectives.
The offensive will be supported by the Turkish air force, while armed drones are conducting intensive surveillance of the region.
The frequent announcements by Turkish politicians and military leaders about the planned operation have been made “in order to lead the citizens in Afrin to abandon the city so that they do not get harmed during the operations”, said the report.