It’s quite clear that there are complications in the US plan to take Raqqa- As part of their ongoing remake the middle east agenda. I’ve been trying to flesh out exactly what is the problem for the US. To the best of my ability, of course! It is certain the US had desired and originally planned for Raqqa and Mosul to be taken at the same time. Literally, simultaneously. (Previous posts on the subject here at the blog)Flashback: US Led Coalition Plans Two Pronged Attack Against ISIS in Raqqa and Mosul
“The U.S.-led coalition plans to place simultaneous military pressure on the Islamic State's two critical strongholds in Iraq and Syria to thwart the militant group's grip in the region, a top U.S. commander said"
The taking of the two key cities, Mosul and Raqqa, is pivotal for the US/Israel plan for Kurdistan aka Israel 2.0. Since their plan has been for one unified Kurdish territory in Iraq, Syria and Turkey- The key city in Turkey would be Diyarbakir, which was mentioned by Michael Rubin as the future capital of Greater Kurdistan.Remember? Repost: Is Turkey Heading to Partition?
It may take a decade, but it is time to begin the countdown to the partition of Turkey. The Kurds will have their state, and its capital will ultimately be Diyarbakir, not Erbil.
Recall? Coup in Turkey: Neo-Cons Talk Coup & Partition-
Neither Turkey nor Greece lost their NATO membership after previous coups. Should a new leadership engage sincerely with Turkey’s Kurds, Kurds might come onboard.
Refresh Your Memory from November 2014: Kurdistan NATO’s New Southern Flank
If all goes well for NATO, Israel and the Kurds. Turkey will be supplanted as NATO’s Southern Flank. It seems to be just a matter of time.....I hold the opinion that Turkish leadership has become aware of what looks to be it’s impending betrayal
With their future sites set on Iran (Already in progress with numerous posts here on this topic) Refresh Your Memory: P5+1 is a distraction. Early Seeds of Iranian destabilization cross the Turkish border Turkey is totally aware of this plan. If I could figure this out regarding Turkey nearly two years ago, it goes without saying that the Turkish government is savvy too. Iran can see it coming also.Remember? Kurd/ ISIS Symbiosis- The impending destruction of Turkey. & Pt.2- Kurd/ ISIS Symbiosis- The impending destruction of Turkey At this point in time it is without question that the coup attempt in Turkey was American sponsored . Attempted to result in or speed up the process of breaking up Turkish territory for the desired and planned remake of the region. Which included Greater Kurdistan or Israel 2.0. Had the coup succeeded I feel certain that the nation state of Turkey would be in the process of partition because the coup plotters had announced their intentions to ‘govern inclusively’ and all that other obfuscative talkHere's where we get to Raqqa It’s clear the US is perturbed.The taking of Raqqa is not going according to their plans, schedule or desired outcome. In fact it hasn't even begun despite the fact that the taking of Mosul started nearly two weeks ago and by all accounts is nearly job well done. Though it's not been mentioned anywhere but here?Refresh : Mosul Offensive Drawing to A Close As Daesh/ISIS Uprooted- Phase 2 Now we get to our intermeddlers in America’s planned taking of RaqqaTurkey. Iran. Syria. Barzani (Iraqi Kurdish leadership) and RussiaTurkey, Iran and Syria are and should be interfering in America/Israel's plan for the most obvious reason- they all have a common enemy in the US backed Kurdish militias and all would oppose, quite naturally, the plans to destroy each nation state to advance the remake agenda As for Barzani? No love lost between himself, the KRG government, and the terrorists of the PKK/YPG etc., He has stated the YPG are much the same as the PKK. The PKK have attacked the Iraqi Kurdish regions pipelines repeatedly. Causing a great deal of of financial harm to the KRG government. The PKK's front government Gorran is challenging Barzani in northern Iraq. There is much animosity between the two groups The PKK has also attacked, on multiple occasions, Turkish & Iranian pipelines.Russia had an idea of a federalized Syria BUT it included Raqqa as Syrian territoryRecall: Syria rejects Russian proposal for Kurdish federation
**Whose Rebels Will Fight for Raqqa Deepens U.S.-Turkey Divisions**
The U.S. commander of the campaign against Islamic State says the only group capable and ready for such a battle is the Syrian Democratic Forces, made up largely of Kurdish fighters. Turkey, however, wants to keep the Kurds out of the fight to prevent them from connecting their autonomous areas in Syria. It’s backing a separate Syrian rebel group, the Free Syrian Army’s Brigade 51, which says it will be on the march soon.
The main challenge in retaking Raqqa has always been who will lead the fight on the ground, with support from U.S. and allied advisers and air power, and whether those forces can be trained quickly enough. Speaking to reporters from Baghdad Wednesday, Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, commander of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, said the only group “capable on any near frame” is the Syrian Democratic Forces, which includes the Kurdish YPG.(which is the PKK/TAK and affiliated Kurds from Iran)
I'm going to link yet another article discussing the fighters on the ground
U.S. commanders in the Middle East are trying to determine whether 300 U.S. troops on the ground inside Syria will be enough to oust the Islamic State group from its self-proclaimed capital in Raqqa.
Whose rebels?
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he told U.S. President Barack Obama in a phone call Wednesday that his country could rid Raqqa of Islamic State all by itself. Obama underscored to Erdogan the need for efforts against Islamic State to be “effectively integrated with the operations of other members of the coalition,” according to White House press secretary Josh Earnest.
Turkey said they’ll clear Raqqa with their own military and boots on the ground- Turkey does have a very large military but the US has to agree the Kurds stay away. However, the US INSISTS the PKK/YPG/TAK and company be involved in taking Raqqa from ISIS. It is this insistence on the part of the US that tells us the truth of the agenda- The US wants the PKK terrorist group and it's friendlies to take Raqqa.‘No Kurds’
“The Turks’ main aim is to derail any plans from the Kurds to have an autonomous region in Syria,” Al-Kattan said. “Turkey wants to have a stake in what’s going on in Syria.”Turkey’s Defense Minister Fikri Isik, speaking from Brussels, suggested on Thursday, though, that his country is adamant in its opposition to any major Kurdish role. Turkey can prepare a force to retake Raqqa as quickly as possible if coalition countries agree to prevent Kurdish forces from participating, he told state-run TRT television.
But Obama has been clear his terrorists (proxies) are going to participate.Sputnik:
"It would be hard to imagine that American plans on Raqqa are aimed only to bring peace to Syria. It cannot be ruled out by using Kurds to liberate the city from Daesh the US wants to support the federalization of Syria, including establishing an autonomous Kurdish region," Babakov told the Russian newspaper Izvestia.
Hard to disagree given the US insistence on having the Kurds present, despite Turkey's protests. Despite Syria's statehood being destroyed.
"The Americans have been trying for a long time to persuade Turkey to work with Kurdish forces in the operation to liberate Raqqa. However, it's impossible. Turkey won't agree to that, given that Ankara regularly calls the Syrian Kurdish PYD 'an offshoot of the PKK,'" political analyst Serhat Erkmen, director of the Center of Middle Eastern Strategic Studies
None of this would have been a problem for the US had their coup succeeded in July.
In an exclusive interview with Sputnik Turkiye in May, Saleh Muslim emphasized that the city was not only Daesh's political capital, but also a critically important military and logistical center for the terrorists."This is a constant threat to all of Rojava [a Kurdish region in northern Syria]. Therefore, the decisive liberation of Raqqa from the jihadists is vitally important for the Rojava. The goal of this operation is to eliminate the threat emanating from the area. The operation had been planned for long time," he said.
The pressure the US is applying to Turkey is also being applied to prevent further rapprochement between Ankara and Moscow
"First of all, the US is mounting pressure on Turkey, thus trying to prevent further rapprochement between Ankara and Moscow. At the same time, Washington understands that sooner or later the Syrian Army will liberate Aleppo. So, the US and its allies want to take control over a different region in Syria. The US wants to have leverage on Damascus and Moscow over a Kurdish autonomy which would also include Raqqa," the expert suggested.
Preventing or breaking the rapprochement between Ankara and Turkey would serve to weaken Turkey even more! And it would weaken Russia alsoReread: How NATO Is Trying to Sabotage the Turkey-Russia ResetAnd Moscow will provide Ankara with intelligence about operation in SyriaAlso: Did Putin give green light to Turkish attack on US-backed Syrian Kurds?OR: An Insecure West and Turkey?Finally: Turkey’s tilt to Russia changes dynamics of Syrian battlefieldIran has sent it’s militias into Mosul and it has been reported that afterwards they will head to Raqqa as Syria’s allies:hattip anonymous commenter!
AnonymousOctober 30, 2016 at 12:42 AMNo one wants to die for Raqqa.
Cut to the chase-
But, but, but, there is a light in the tunnel!Iraqi PMU recently announced that after Mosul the next target for its forces will be Raqqa. The offensive will be coordinate with Syrian governemnt. Maybe this is why Americans are getting nervous. If PMU and the SAA manage to captured Raqqa, the Syrian government will be able to establish a friendly administration in this city. Then the game is over.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/10/29/Spokesman-I…
Ahmed al-Assadi, a spokesman for the Iraq-sanctioned paramilitary known as Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), said on Saturday that they will fight alongside Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces in Syria after finishing their battle against ISIS in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, Al Arabiya News Channel reported. The Iran-funded PMU has launched an assault on ISIS west of Mosul on Saturday but reiterated that they would not enter the Sunni majority city.
The leader of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region has assured that Kurdish Peshmerga forces will not set foot in Mosul during a joint operation with the army and allied fighters aimed at liberating the Daesh-held northern city.
“The Peshmerga will not enter the city of Mosul,” Masoud Barzani said in a news conference with Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) Ammar Hakim, in Zartac Mountain, near the city of Nineveh, on Thursday.
And walking beside one another in solidarity too?
Barzani further said the Kurdish fighters are coordinating their role in the Mosul liberation operation with the Iraqi military, adding that the collaboration will continue.The Kurdish leader further highlighted unity among different Iraqi political parties, adding that Daesh was no more a threat as most areas are back in control of the Iraqi forces.
It seems to me there may just be a concerted effort to prevent the USA/PKK/Israel from taking Mosul... No Mosul. No Raqqa.I've a bit more to add, but, this has gotten long and I've spent hours working on itPlease read it all and then share some relevant thoughts! I do love when readers and lurkers do that!If you are unaware of the Raqqa situation please read: