Charles Lister @Charles_Lister
Things getting messy around #Jarablus.
2 pro-YPG SDF units announce intent to counter “Turkish occupation.”
This morning, Faylaq al-Sham claim its forces have clashed with SDF south of #Jarablus; several killed:
Turkey’s offensive into Syria is opening up a hornet’s nest. via @africawriter @erinmcunningham
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...mepage%2Fstory
We created this “hornets nest.”
It’s been blatantly clear since late-'14 what the inevitable consequences would be.
Northern #Aleppo now:
CIA/DoD/#Turkey-backed FSA opposition factions
vs.
DoD-backed SDF anti-#ISIS factions.
= Disgraceful mess.
Worse of all is we’re now seeing U.S. DoD-supplied weaponry being used by *both* sides, to fight each other.
Shameful “policy."
Charles Lister @Charles_Lister
I recall a senior DoD official telling me in early-2015:
‘But the YPG *is* an opposition force, so why won’t FSA join us to fight #ISIS?'
Another DoD official later in '15 said:
‘If necessary, we’ll transform ethnic/tribal power dynamics in #Syria to fight #ISIS. We can do it'
I & others have said for a long time: U.S. counter-#ISIS strategy will create a secondary war in N. #Syria that’ll outlast that vs. #Assad.