Earl (02-22-2020)
Earl (02-22-2020)
At least 15 Turkish soldiers have been killed in Syria this month amid a crushing offensive by Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces aimed at recapturing remaining opposition-held areas in the region.
Intent on halting the advance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had vowed Feb. 12 to take military action “everywhere in Syria” if another Turkish soldier was killed or wounded.
The multiple front offensive has triggered the biggest single wave of fleeing civilians in Syria's nine-year war, displacing nearly 1 million people who have rushed toward the Turkish border and are sheltering in tents or sleeping rough in harsh winter weather.
It has also risked completely shattering a fragile cooperation between Ankara and Moscow, which back opposing sides of the Syria war. Ankara has sent thousands of soldiers to northwestern Syria to try to stem the Syrian government advance on the province near the Turkish border, leading to the repeated flare-ups.
Thursday's exchange marked a serious escalation that risks growing into a full-blown conflict between Turkey and Syria. Erdogan has also called on Assad's forces to retreat from Idlib or face an “imminent” Turkish attack.
The exchange began after opposition fighters shelled Syrian government forces and entered the village of Nairab, which Assad's forces had captured Feb. 3, the Turkish Anadolu agency said.
The Russian military said the militants' actions “were supported by Turkish artillery fire,” which allowed them to break through the Syrian army's defenses. Four Syrian soldiers were wounded in the Turkish shelling, it said.
At the Syrian military’s request, Russian Su-24 bombers then struck the militants to prevent them from advancing and allowing Syrian government forces to “successfully repel all attacks,” the military added.
It was not immediately clear whether it was the Russian airstrikes that killed the two Turkish soldiers and injured five others.
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/202...-ml-syria.html
Earl (02-22-2020)
look at what Sen Chris Murphy did this week along w/Kerry - and supported by ex-Staters.
He talked to Iran's FM as part of an "ongoing relationship" of talks they have been running while Trump is POTUS.
Then they sit there and call it "Congressional liason" but it's about trying to get Europe to ease up on sanctions
Erdogan is also sending Syrian jihadi to Libya as mercenaries..
Earl (02-22-2020)
ON HIS WORST DAY, JOE BIDEN IS A BETTER PRESIDENT THAN TRUMP WAS ON HIS BEST DAY!
Earl (02-22-2020)
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