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Three Sides of the Middle East conflict, plus the US

Reader comment on item: More on Turkish Support for ISIS
in response to reader comment: What speculation?

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Aug 28, 2014 at 13:12

ISIL is simply killing Muslims for the sake of Israel.

Now I've heard everything :-)

the Islamic state has been busy with choking Muslims like chickens in Iraq mainly for just being Shia.

That sounds more realistic.

What more proof are you looking for?

Something tangible.

The leader of PKK, Karayilan openly stated Mossad-PKK ties and that Israel and PKK should move together against the "enemy" on an Israeli TV station.

I did not see the TV program, so I don't know whom you are referring to as the "enemy". Currently, the PKK have been at the forefront of Kurdish resistance to the ISIL invasion of their lands. Since ISIL works in coordination with HAMAS and the other terrorist groups in Gaza, it is reasonable that PKK and Israel should "move together".

Although I do not endorse the ALMonitor, they have just posted an interesting article that articulates the general alignment of sides in the Middle East: It goes like this:

Side I

Syria, Hezbollah, Russia, China, PYD (Syrian Kurds of Rojava), Iraq (central government), PKK (Kurdish Worker's Party), [PUK -- see below]

Side II

Turkey, KRG (Kurdish Regional Government, led by the Barzani clan), [ISIS -- see below]

To this mix, I might add that the PUK, led by the Talibani clan that controls the Presidency of Iraq, falls on "Side I", opposite the Barzani faction of the KRG. The Turks and Barzani have been promoting Iraqi Kurdish independence (Ironically, the same stance Israel has made -- and one Turkey has historically fought against); whereas the Talibani faction and others (including the US) have contrawise backed autonomy within Iraq rather than independence. That puts the US, in this instance, on the Iranian side and Israel (by coincidence) on Turkey's side.

I have also put (ISIS/ ISIL/ The Islamic Caliphate/ whatever they call themselves lately) on "Side II, with Turkey, for the simple reason that without supply routes through Turkey and the Turkish outlet for oil smuggling, ISIS would likely crumble. Turkey, for its part, has taken an officially "neutral" stance, presumably because of the "Mosul hostages" -- the same reason it has used for blacking out coverage of ISIS in Turkey.

Israel occupies a curious place in this tangled web. It backs Kurdish indepencence, yes -- aligning it on this matter with Turkey. At the same time, Turkey and Qatar are waging a proxy war against Israel in Gaza, against Egypt in Sinai and against the UAE and its Libyan allies in Libya. This points out a new set of players, which I will call "Side III":

Side II

Turkey, Qatar, HAMAS, Muslim Brotherhood, Ansar al-Sharia and allied militias in Libya

Side III

Israel, Egypt, UAE, Libya (Haftar, Zintan and allied factions)

In this connection, Israel stands solidly opposed to Turkey.

The US is in a curious position in all this -- fighting alongside Iran in a proxy war against its NATO ally Turkey, while at the same time taking the side of Turkey, Qatar and ISIS against both Syria-Assad and Israel. It seems that Mr. Obama, the "Peace" President, is backing war for its own sake -- as long as we do not have American "boots" on the ground (Presumably, our thousands of troops in the region go barefoot).

Now, the same West that categorized PKK as a terrorist organization for decades is getting ready to deploy weapons to Barzani's Peshmerga, PKK and PYD which is the Syrian branch of PKK.

It's pointless to speak of "the same West", seeing that Israel, Turkey and Iraq are all nominal US allies. It's obvious that these countries are not on the same page with one another. As for the Peshmerga, the last I read on the matter is that the US is sending weapons to the area, but they are not getting to the mainly PKK-allied fighters on the front lines. Until the PKK came in to stiffen up Peshmerga resistance to ISIS, the forces of Barzani's regime were fleeing from ISIS. The US airstrikes have also been half-hearted, and seem to be more of an Obama reaction to domestic pressure than genuine support of anyone.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (68) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Turkish support for ISIS [189 words]PrashantSep 29, 2022 12:35286948
Are There Smoldering Passions of Loss Waiting to be Reignited for a Response to Losing al-Zawahiri? [240 words]M ToveyAug 4, 2022 17:12284658
Further Recriminations of an Elusive Middle Eastern Peddler of Terrorist Activities [126 words]M ToveyAug 24, 2022 23:39284658
1Already praying for Christian Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh [238 words]PrashantDec 25, 2020 17:37262359
Correction in my earlier message. [20 words]PrashantDec 28, 2020 13:00262359
ISIS - how to stop them if west really wanted too [341 words]BobKnowsSep 21, 2015 10:41225313
Turkey leading ISIS [15 words]kurdistanJan 11, 2015 07:28220265
1PBS and Prof Khalidi and Q47:4 and beheading in the Qur;an [228 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
dhimmi no moreOct 5, 2014 19:33218489
Turkey Also Is In Cahoots With Iran [40 words]Lujack SkylarkSep 23, 2014 21:47218180
1Turkey Is On ISIS Side, Turkey Is On The Muslim Brotherhood's Side & Turkey's Putin's friend [257 words]Lujack SkylarkSep 18, 2014 13:12218011
1Who is supporting Turkey's support to ISIS? [61 words]KarlSep 14, 2014 20:02217882
1Erdogan is Israel's best friend [509 words]Kuvayi MilliyeAug 26, 2014 10:07217429
Erdogan and Moderate Islam [535 words]Kuvayi MilliyeAug 13, 2014 06:22217124
Speculations [157 words]MIchael SAug 16, 2014 19:20217124
What speculation? [226 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Kuvayi MilliyeAug 24, 2014 05:57217124
1Three Sides of the Middle East conflict, plus the US [686 words]Michael SAug 28, 2014 13:12217124
6Beheading in the Qur'an and i'm not kidding [368 words]dhimmi no moreAug 29, 2014 14:54217124
Well stated! [3 words]Michael S.Aug 31, 2014 17:03217124
2Fact checking DNM on Q8-12 [272 words]PrashantDec 30, 2020 18:24217124
2Prashant: Islam and the regressive left! Islam and the Yazidis [319 words]dhimmi no moreJan 2, 2021 09:38217124
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1ISIS terrorists are imitating the prophet [148 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Fred baehrAug 13, 2014 01:48217119
No Similarity Between Islam and Early-Christianity [59 words]JonSep 10, 2014 14:57217119
1Claims that the US is backing ISIS [149 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
MrTuvokAug 12, 2014 18:19217114
1Turkey _ISIS [22 words]spaAug 1, 2014 11:59216461
4Turkey and ISIS and big time criminals v. small time thugs [75 words]dhimmi no moreAug 3, 2014 10:04216461
1History [309 words]Kuvayi MilliyeAug 10, 2014 04:48216461
6The Turks and the Armenian Greek Syrian and Yazidi Genocides and the truth never goes away [185 words]dhimmi no moreAug 12, 2014 06:37216461
Facts vs Tales [462 words]Kuvayi MilliyeAug 13, 2014 05:46216461
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4The Armenian and Greek and Syrian and Yazidi Genocides and the Genocides denial industry [182 words]dhimmi no moreAug 18, 2014 07:32216461
1Bed Time Stories [571 words]Kuvayi MilliyeAug 24, 2014 05:35216461
4And speaking of bed time stories and Turkish propagandists [421 words]dhimmi no moreAug 25, 2014 07:37216461
2Sci-Fi History [199 words]Kuvayi MilliyeAug 26, 2014 10:26216461
1We are all Armenians and get used to it [175 words]dhimmi no moreAug 31, 2014 15:54216461
1And speaking of Turkish propagandists and pathological haters of the Armenians and the Greeks and the Syrians [161 words]dhimmi no moreAug 31, 2014 16:38216461
3The Smyrna massacre September 1923 [91 words]dhimmi no moreSep 2, 2014 08:13216461
1History Class [381 words]Kuvayi MilliyeSep 8, 2014 11:10216461
The Smyrna massacre September 1923 and you did not answer my questions [119 words]dhimmi no moreSep 9, 2014 06:56216461
Erdogan is shooting himself in the foot. [571 words]Michael S.Sep 13, 2014 19:59216461
"History Class" by a Genocide Denier [43 words]Young MCSep 14, 2014 03:58216461
Keep Repeating [573 words]Kuvayi MilliyeSep 15, 2014 05:51216461
1You still did not answer my questions and you think that I did not notice? [856 words]dhimmi no moreSep 19, 2014 07:22216461
1Keep Repeating Again [46 words]Kuvayi MilliyeSep 21, 2014 13:12216461
2The Armenian and Greek and Syrian and Yazidi Genocides and the Genocides denial industry [211 words]dhimmi no moreSep 22, 2014 08:16216461
"Genocide" baloney [189 words]Michael S.Oct 26, 2014 07:02216461
3We are all Armenians and Greeks and Yazidis and Syrians and get used to it [273 words]dhimmi no moreOct 26, 2014 09:29216461
1Genocide charges [21 words]dhimmi no moreOct 31, 2014 08:59216461
Genocide vs. Barbarism [197 words]Michael S.Nov 2, 2014 20:02216461
2What is really Genocide? [271 words]dhimmi no moreNov 4, 2014 16:10216461
BS Armenian "genocide" [513 words]Michael SNov 5, 2014 21:10216461
Correction [662 words]Michael S.Nov 9, 2014 00:38216461
3Those that deny the Armenian genocide should be ashamed of themselves part two [689 words]dhimmi no moreNov 9, 2014 08:40216461
2The Armenian Genocide and hate! [73 words]dhimmi no moreNov 9, 2014 09:05216461
1Those that deny the Armenian genocide should be ashamed of themselves part three [171 words]dhimmi no moreNov 9, 2014 10:53216461
Barbarism and Denial [88 words]Young MCNov 16, 2014 18:59216461
2Our dear Michael S admits that what really happened to the Armenians was indeed a Genocide [272 words]dhimmi no moreNov 17, 2014 17:35216461
Have a wonderful day. [404 words]Michael S.Nov 21, 2014 15:49216461
Come down from your pedestal. [308 words]Michael S.Nov 22, 2014 03:44216461
Just stop it. [88 words]Michael S.Nov 22, 2014 03:54216461
2Your logic is flawed [60 words]dhimmi no moreNov 28, 2014 10:54216461
2Half knowledge is dangerous [238 words]dhimmi no moreNov 28, 2014 11:08216461
Just stop lying. [45 words]Michael S.Dec 4, 2014 11:26216461
11896: When Jews saved hundreds of Armenians from Muslims... [223 words]DanielaApr 8, 2021 02:29216461
1erdogan is a member of the Muslim brotherhood [42 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
YaƫlJul 25, 2014 10:52216343
Just look at the four fingers of ISIS into Turkey [110 words]MikeAug 14, 2014 14:49216343
2Under Erdogan, now Turkey turns Antisemtic [90 words]LudvikusJul 19, 2014 20:55216219
1Another Reason To De-NATO Turkey [95 words]DaveJul 6, 2014 15:00215826

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