Stand by.!!

[kevin3]

  Breaking news on Daily Zaman. Turkish forces have started shelling the Menagh Airbase in Syria, which was recently captured

  by Kurdish fighters. This could get very nasty. I wonder who ordered it.?

[Stuart T]

Not I.

6 billion, 999,999 more suspects to go.... (minus the Kurds).

Was it Donald Trump?

Who do you suspect?

[KKOB]

Was it the big boy what done it then ran away ?

[JohnF]

I wonder who ordered it.?

Here's your answer:

Mr Davutoglu also pledged to make the Syrian Menagh air base "unusable" if the militia did not withdraw from the area, and that the YPG would not be allowed to move east of its Afrin region or west of the Euphrates.

That's from the BBC, who also did a good graphic that kinda shows who's who from a Turkish perspective:




JF

[usedbustickets]

Good explanatory graphic, but I think it is worth adding that Turkish Air Strikes against ISIS have been limited in the extreme, and where the Turkish Air Force/Army has struck has been against Syrian Government targets, not forgetting of course their strikes against PKK, both in Turkey and Iraq.

Be interesting to see whether this alliance with the Saudis will lead to further air strikes against ISIS in Syria, unlikely, or very limited, would be my view.

[JohnF]

but I think it is worth adding that Turkish Air Strikes against ISIS have been limited in the extreme

That is undoubtedly the "Most Diplomatic Post of the Year".

JF

[Colwyn]

Apart from the Kurds, who is interested in fighting against Daesh? OK the US/UK drop bombs on them but most of the other actors have other concerns. Assad is not interested in attacking them since he is concentrating on the non-Daesh opposition. So are his allies Russia and Iran. Turkey is focused on the Kurds. And Saudi Arabia are more concerned with getting rid of Assad - as the SA Foreign Minister made clear this week: "We will push as much as we can to ensure that the political process works. But if it doesn't work, it will be because of the obstinance of the Syrian regime and that of its allies. And should that prove to be the case, then it becomes clear that there is no option to remove Bashar al-Assad except by force.
"http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/13/middleeast/saudi-arabia-assad-force/

[usedbustickets]

but I think it is worth adding that Turkish Air Strikes against ISIS have been limited in the extreme

That is undoubtedly the "Most Diplomatic Post of the Year".

JF

Ever the Diplomat me!!