Reporting on the PKK handing over Manbij to the Assadists got me really fascinated. To make one ting clear: there is still no definite, 100% fool-proof evidence this is truth. But, ever more reports of that kind are circling around. Thus I started asking around, too.Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09
The story that emerges is patchy but... well: kind of surprising.
The place should be predominantly populated by the Sufis and was a Ba'ath Party centre in this part of Syria, and that all the time - well before and all the timeduring the revolution. There were protests too, but the activists signed an agreement with the Ba'ath that granted them permission to protest every Friday - at the place of Ba'ath's choice. In turn, police didn't shoot at them...
In July 2012 it was surrendered by insurgents from Azaz and al-Bab and Ba'athists forced to withdraw to Aleppo. Instead of them a new committee was established to govern the town - but this primarily consisted of retired Assadists (the ar-Rabi and al-Mashi clans, members of which used to serve in the Assadist quasi-parliament in Damascus; meanwhile they've got some of most influential positions in the PYD's administration).
Then came the Daesh - and its thugs and Assadists maintained the 'business as usual' posture: they just came along in best possible fashion... (contrary to what was going on in places like al-Bab, where population resisted). Indeed, some say the US-supported PKK/PYD/YPG/SDF attack - and following 'occupation' - actually disturbed things quite a lot and no surprise that local Manbij Military Council wants to get back to Assadists.
No clue if all of this is correct, but it does sound familiar (especially about Assadists getting well along with de-facto everybody - except revolutionaries), and is starting to make sense: at least it would explain why everybody - except the PKK - is in a rush to get there.
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