Some media outlets are reporting these talks as "surprise talks" That's just silly. Given what has been occurring in Manbij as of late a meeting seemed absolutely necessary. I will relink the posts covering this very tense and dangerous situation at the bottom- The latest via Bloomberg:
The top military officials from Russia, Turkey and the U.S. met on Tuesday in a bid to defuse escalating tensions outside a strategic Syrian town.The meeting follows Turkish threats to attack the northern town of Manbij, which is controlled by Kurdish groups seen by the U.S. as key allies in the fight against Islamic State. The U.S.-led coalition said on Saturday that it had deployed troops outside the town to “deter aggression,” a day after Russia announced that Syrian government forces would be stationed near Manbij.U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Turkey’s Chief of the General Staff Hulusi Akar are discussing “joint issues related to regional security, including Syria and Iraq,” in the southern Turkish city of Antalya, the Turkish military said in a statement on its website.
Joseph Dunford, left, Hulusi Akar, center, and Valery Gerasimov, March 7.Source: Turkish Military Pool Photo via AP Photos
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said his country seeks a “trilateral mechanism” to clear the area of “terrorist groups.” In Manbij, “the U.S. is raising a flag, Russia is raising a flag nearby, things have turned into a flag competition,” Yildirim said in an interview with ATV television late Monday.Erdogan, PutinThe mounting strains around Manbij have emerged as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prepares to visit Moscow on Thursday accompanied by his defense minister for talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Russia has taken the diplomatic lead in seeking to resolve the war in Syria after its military intervention in 2015 succeeded in bolstering President Bashar al-Assad.Turkey sent troops across the border into Syria in August, backing Free Syrian Army rebels in battles against Islamic State. The army has also clashed with Kurdish groups that the government in Ankara regards as terrorist organizations with links to separatists in Turkey, and which took control of Manbij after expelling Islamic State from the town just before the Turkish incursion.The most important business stories of the day.Get Bloomberg's daily newsletter.Turkey has sought the support of the U.S., its NATO ally, to lead a ground offensive against Islamic State’s main Syrian stronghold of Raqqa that would advance through areas controlled by Kurdish fighters, a Turkish official said last week. The U.S. views the Kurds as an essential element of the battle against the radical Sunni group that’s waged a global campaign of terrorist attacks from its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq.The U.S. has moved 500 soldiers to the outskirts of Manbij, according to Ilnur Cevik, chief adviser to Erdogan. The U.S.-led coalition “has taken this deliberate action to reassure coalition members and partner forces, deter aggression and keep the focus on defeating ISIS,” spokesman Col. John Dorrian said on Twitter.
The US acknowledged they moved 500 additional troops yesterday- check re-linked posts at bottom
There’s a high risk of a Turkish assault on Manbij, said Anton Lavrov, an independent Russian military expert who follows the Syrian conflict closely. That could provoke a bigger crisis as “both the U.S. and Russia want to maintain the status quo and keep the Kurds in control of the territory they hold.”The U.S. deployment was “a clear signal to the Turks not to go down that road,” said Abdsalam Ali, a Syrian Kurdish representative in Moscow. The Kurds are hopeful that Turkey “will be forced to stand down,” he said.
The Kurdish thugs should stand down- But like their Israeli allies they think annexing territory is their right- They will applaud when Israel takes Golan completely, that will suit them just fine... It will see them that much closer to their allies.Related posts- If unfamiliar start at the bottom with the oldest post and work up:
US Sends 500 Additional Troops Into Manbij to “Send ISIS a Message”?
Manbij: NATO's Fracturing Point, US Troops Parade In Armored Convoys
Manbij Conjuncture- Russia Makes a Deal
NATO Fracturing at Manbij? US Reinforces Manbij to Defend From Turkish Attack??
US Commander Votel in Northern Syria Meeting With PKK/YPG
Why Does Turkey’s Capture of Syria’s Al Bab Matter?
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