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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US prevents Turkish invasion of Syria by CAOC intelligence cutoff
2019-10-09
[DEBKA] DEBKAfile sources refute the overblown reporting of a major US pullback from northeastern Syria and reveal that after 100-150 troops leave two observation posts, 2,250 remain in position.

Our military sources disclose that, early Tuesday, Oct. 8, the Pentagon cut the Ottoman Turkish army and air force off from US command and intelligence and the US regional Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force. Without these resources, Ankara cannot conduct any major aerial operation in Syria or elsewhere or launch an offensive operation outside The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...Qatar's satrapy in Asia Minor...
 because it would be denied air cover.

Initial reporting on the US decision to leave two observation posts and so abandon the Kurds to a Ottoman Turkish invasion was highly exaggerated due to diverse ‐ often competing ‐ motives. Those two posts on the Ottoman Turkish border are not located in Kurdish territory. For now, there is no sign of the bulk of US forces quitting their air and other bases in Syria. Neither are Ottoman Turkish forces seen to be preparing to attack Kurdish towns in northern Syria. American training and its flow of equipment continue uninterrupted for the Syrian Defense Forces, of which the Kurdish YPG is the backbone.

As an added deterrent, President Donald Trump
...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party...
 warned Turkey on Monday night if it "goes too far" ‐ meaning that if President Recep Erdogan carries out his repeated threats to attack the Syrian Kurds to clear them out of the regions abutting on the Ottoman Turkish border ‐ the Turks "would suffer the wrath of an extremely decimated economy" which is already in a very bad way.
Related:
DEBKAfile: 2019-04-14 Trump warns Putin of US umbrella over Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in Syria
DEBKAfile: 2019-03-26 US boosts forces in Iraq/Syria, backing recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Golan
DEBKAfile: 2018-12-30 Syrian army positions, not Iranian advisers, target of Israeli airstrike: DEBKAfile
Posted by:trailing wife

#3  Since the Turk just invaded, this falls into the "not" category.
Posted by: Mercutio   2019-10-09 18:17  

#2  Prediction:
The Kurd Kommies get stomped.
The other Kurds work something out with Assad and the Russians for a de facto Kurdistan in Syria.
The Turks stay in their own neighborhood after some modest bloodshed.
Posted by: SteveS   2019-10-09 12:07  

#1  Debka. Sometimes right on. Sometimes....er, not.
Posted by: Mercutio   2019-10-09 09:39  

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