NOVEMBER 24, 2015
by MIKE WHITNEY
On
Tuesday, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane that was carrying out military
operations against jihadi groups in Northern Syria. The downing of the Su-24
fighter jet is part of a broader plan by the administration of Turkish
President Tayyip Recep Erdogan to topple the secular government of Syrian
President Bashar al Assad and to establish “safe zones” on the Syrian side of
the Turkish-Syrian border. Erdogan needs the safe zones to provide a sanctuary
for the militant extremists who are the footsoldiers in his war against Syria.
The downing of the Russian fighter is a desperate attempt by Erdogan to incite
a reaction from Russia that will draw either NATO or the United States deeper
into a conflict which has dragged on for 4 and a half years and killed 250,000
people.
Unlike
the Obama administration, that has been willing to arm and train jihadi groups
to conduct its proxy-war against Assad in Syria, Erdogan is a true believer, a
committed Islamist who has done everything in his power to roll back democracy
in Turkey, to establish one-man rule, to destroy the independent judiciary, to
silence the free press, and to establish a conservative and intolerant Islamic
state. Erdogan is what many would call a “Koolaid drinker”, a man who believes
that his support for disparate and vicious terrorist groups that have
decimated Syria, laid its civilian infrastructure to waste, and displaced more
than half the population is “God’s work”. Make no mistake, the Turkish
government is the modern-day Caliphate. The fact that its government officials
dress in nicely-tailored suits rather than black pajamas, is merely a way to
divert attention from their extreme fanaticism and their covert support for
liver-eating fundamentalist savages.
In the seven weeks since Russia began military
operations in Syria, nearly all of the gains of the US-Turkey-Saudi-Qatar
jihadi coalition have been wiped out. The decisive battle took place more than
a week ago at Kuweris airbase east of Aleppo. This was the tipping point for
the war although the imminent fall of Aleppo is bound to attract more
notoriety. It’s clear now that the Russian-led coalition is winning
the war, has foiled US attempt to remove Assad, and that the bulk of the
foreign mercenaries will either be killed or captured. The Obama
administration realizes that the current phase of the war is hopeless and has
started to implement a fallback plan to control territory in E Syria that is
critical for future pipeline corridors. In contrast, the Turkish government is
completely unwilling to accept the fact that its plan has failed which is why
it has embarked on this risky strategy to draw either NATO or Washington
deeper into the fray. Check this out from a Tuesday battlefield report
from South Front:
“The
Syrian forces backed up by the Russian warplanes, pushed back the militant
groups from nearly 200 kilometers of land in the coastal province of Lattakia,
military sources said Monday. On Sunday, the Syrian army and popular forces
purged the terrorists and advanced to areas near the Turkish borders. The
ground reports argue that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) took control of Zahia
heights, 2km from the joint borders with Turkey.”
Can
you see what’s going on? The Russian-led coalition is closing in on the
Syria-Turkish border which will put an end to Erdogan’s dream of toppling
Assad or continuing to fuel the war with terrorists that are provided a safe
haven on Syrian soil. This is why the Su-24 fighter was shot down on Tuesday.
It is a desperate attempt to salvage the failed strategy of toppling a secular
government and replacing it with friendly Islamic extremists who hew to
Erdogan’s twisted worldview.
By the way, readers should take a minute and review the
video of the “moderate” headchoppers that the US supports in Syria paying
special attention to their moderate treatment of prisoners. The Russian pilot
was captured by these “freedom fighters”, shot twice in the chest and then his
clothes were ripped off so he could be moderately photographed. These are the
fine fellows that Uncle Sam would like to see in Damascus heading the
government because, as we all know, “Assad has lost legitimacy.” (See here.)
For
the last three days, I have been following a fast-evolving plan by the Turkish
Terrorist Government (TTG) to create a false flag operation that would draw
either the US or NATO deeper into the war in Syria reversing Obama’s recent
commitment NOT to deploy ground troops to the warzone. On Saturday, Turkish
newspapers reported that 1,500 Syrian Turkmen had fled to the Turkish border
for safety. The reasons that were given were that the Russian warplanes were
bombing areas where ISIS was not located. True, ISIS is not located in these
Turkmen villages by the border; rather the barbarians that you see in the
video are located there. These men belong to the jihadi groups that that have
been funded, armed and trained by Turkey and the US and who are fighting to
topple Assad. Reasonable people who would like to see an end to terrorism,
should feel supportive of Putin’s efforts to annihilate these monsters.
Instead, the Turkish government has been trying to make the case that Russia
is bombing innocent civilians. Now check out this story (from Monday) in
Turkey’s leading newspaper Hurriyet:
“Turkey
has called for a U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss attacks on Turkmens
in neighboring Syria, according to Prime Ministry sources, with Prime Minister
Ahmet Davutoğlu saying his government will “not hesitate” to take the required
measures on Syrian soil to protect the Turkmen people…
Turkey
is in discussions with the United States and Russia over the bombing of the
villages and has sent a letter to Britain, the current holder of the U.N.
Security Council’s presidency, asking for the subject to be taken up, sources
from Davutoğlu’s office told Reuters on Nov. 23…
Speaking
to reporters late on Nov. 22, Davutoğlu recalled that he was engaged in
constant contact with both Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and
National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Chief Hakan Fidan over the weekend
concerning alleged Russian air raids on Turkmen villages near the
Syrian-Turkish border. Sources, meanwhile, told Reuters that Davutoğlu had
consulted on the intelligence dimension of the issue with Akar and Fidan.
“Our
security forces have been instructed to retaliate against any development that
would threaten Turkey’s border security,” the prime minister said. “If there
is an attack that would lead to an intense influx of refugees to Turkey,
required measures would be taken both inside Syria and Turkey,” he added.
“Looking
at background of these attacks, in a region where very clearly there is no
element of Deash (ISIS), where there is no terrorist element, first Russian
airplanes come and then with support from foreign fighters.
“We will also take the required measures diplomatically
for the protection of our brothers and sisters in the place where they are
located and for the protection of their human rights in the face of any
threat,” he also stated.” (Turkey
urges UN to act to protect Turkmens in Syria,
Hurriyet)
So is
the Turkish PM correct in saying the Russians are bombing the Turkmen
civilians forcing them to flee from their homes. Not according to Turkmen
leader Ali Türkmani. Here’s what he said:
“There
is a perception operation that is being waged over the Turkmens. The regime
will of course attempt to maintain its territorial integrity. As such, threats
from al-Nusra and the Free Syrian Army are being targeted [by Russian air
strikes]. It’s not correct to say the Turkmens are being targeted.”
So
civilians are not being targeted, but the Turkish government is supplying
weapons and ammo to the terrorists as this article in the Turkish Daily Zaman
proves:
“Several
trucks bound for Syria were stopped at the beginning of last year by Turkish
gendarmerie forces upon instructions by a prosecutor. It turned out they
contained weapons.
The
AK Party government claimed for months that the trucks only included
humanitarian aid, but a report published by the Cumhuriyet daily in May last
year revealed that the trucks contained weapons.
According
to the daily’s report, a truck, which is thought to be one of many, contained
1,000 artillery shells, 50,000 machine gun rounds, 30,000 heavy machine gun
rounds and 1,000 mortar shells.
The government was accused of sending the weapons to
radical Islamist groups in Syria, but Davutoğlu swore in June that the trucks
were bound for Turkmens. In contrast, Turkmens had earlier denied receiving
any weapons from Turkey.” (Turkey
calls on UN Security Council to convene for Turkmens in Syria, Today’s Zaman)
So
what is the game-plan here? What is Turkey really up to?
Well,
first of all, they are trying to set up a safe zone on sovereign Syrian
territory so they can continue to spread terror across Syria. Check out this
clip from the Daily Sabah and you’ll see how these Turkmen radicals who are
allies of Ankara are seizing villages to create the safe zone:
“Syrian
opposition groups supported by Turkish and US warplanes took control of two
Turkmen towns in Northern Syria early Saturday, Anadolu Agency reported….The
operation was supported by six Turkish F-16s, four US F-15s and an AC-130
joined the offensive along with three drones.
Security
sources added that this success in the fight against DAESH that can be defined
as the first step for the creation of a DAESH-free zone in Northern Syria….
Speaking about Turkey’s stance on the recent
developments in Northern Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a live
broadcast on Wednesday that declaring no-fly and safe zones is crucial to
resolve the Syrian Crisis….Erdoğan further stated that Turkey will continue to
carry out anti-terror operations until concrete results are achieved and peace
is restored.” (First
step for the safe zone in N. Syria: opposition groups take two Turkmen towns
from DAESH, Daily Sabah)
Whether
you call it an ISIS-free zone or not is irrelevant. The fact is, the Turkish
government (with US air support) is trying to annex Syrian territory for its
own nefarious purposes. That much is clear.
The
downing of the Russian Su-24 fighter fits perfectly with the way in which the
Turkish government has been ratcheting up tensions on the border, using its
jihadi allies to seize Syrian territory, and trying to incite a violent
reaction that will force greater NATO or US involvement. I seriously doubt
that Putin is gullible enough to take the bait and overreact to this obvious
and pathetic provocation in Ankara. He will exact his pound of flesh at some
other time, a time of his own choosing.
MIKE WHITNEY lives in Washington state. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion (AK Press). Hopeless is
also available in a Kindle edition. He can be reached at fergiewhitney@msn.com.
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Thanks for your comment. Peace, NB