Chaos in Manbij

In und um Manbij herrscht Chaos. Angeblich ist die Stadt den Syrern übergeben, die USA erklären, sie würden bleiben, FSA-Söldner Erdogans bereiten sich derweil zum Angriff vor. Es steht als Nato-Land USA an der Seite der PYD, die sich gerade mit Assad und Russland verbündet hat, gegen Nato-Land Türkei und mittendrin noch die Franzosen und allerlei Milizen, teilweise syrische FSA-Milizen, die einst von den USA ausgerüstet wurden.

Da ganze erinnert an irgendwelche Schlachtbeschreibungen aus der Spätphase des 30jährigen Krieges, wo auch kaum noch jemand wusste, mit wem er gerade gegen wen kämpfte.

With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatening an attack on areas held by the Kurdish militia YPG, Ankara’s troops and Syrian rebels have been moved to a frontline near Manbij, at the western edge of territory held by the US-supported, YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces

On Friday morning the YPG issued a statement on Twitter, “We invite the Syrian Government forces to assert control over the areas our forces have withdrawn from, in particular Manbij, and to protect these areas against a Turkish invasion.”

The Assad regime’s military implied that it had deployed inside the town, raising the regime flag to fulfil “its responsibilities to impose sovereignty to each inch of the Syrian territories”.

But local sources quickly said that the regime had sent in only a token group for the flag-raising, and that talks continued over the status of the town. Some said the regime would concentrate on putting troops to the west of Manbij, as a buffer against any Turkish-rebel offensive.

Abdulkarim Omar, an official with the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria, later confirmed that talks are ongoing. He said the only agreed point was the regime’s deployment near Manbij, after US forces withdraw following a December 19 order by Donald Trump for the departure of all 2,000 American personnel from Syria.

Meanwhile, Russia was reportedly preparing three outposts outside the town, while US forces — yet to pull back despite Trump’s order — held positions to the northeast.

American officials said that they were surprised by the YPG announcement, and that they had expressed frustration and anger to Kurdish counterparts in the SDF. “A senior American official” said the YPG position did not necessarily reflect views of Arab members of the SDF.

In contrast, the Kremlin welcomed the regime entry into Manbij. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “Of course, this will help in stabilizing the situation. The enlargement of the zone under the control of government forces…is without doubt a positive trend.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry echoed, “[This is] an important step to consolidate the sovereignty of the constitutional government of Syria over the entire country.”