US and Turkey Collude to Steal Northern Syrian Territory

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Troops of both countries illegally occupy northern Syrian territory bordering Turkey, including its oil rich area.

On the phony pretext of protecting Turkey's security, President Erdogan is intermittently battling Kurdish YPG fighters cross-border in Syria — despite their posing no threat to Ankara.

His real aim is wanting the territory annexed. The same goes for Kurdish controlled/oil-rich northern Iraq.

The US seeks regional control, including over its oil and gas resources.

In late July, Russian General Staff/Main Operational Directorate commander General Sergey Rudskoy accused US and allied forces of "highjack(ing)" Syrian oil from ISIS, profiting from its sales — perhaps shipping it cross-border to Turkey and/or elsewhere, the Trump regime running a black market operation with looted Syrian oil, adding:

US-supported ISIS and other jihadists were also trained to destroy Syrian (and perhaps Iraqi) oil and gas infrastructure, along with continuing attacks on government forces and civilians, using heavy and other weapons supplied by Western and regional countries, including Israel, Turkey, the Saudis and UAE.

Rudskoy added that the Trump regime is arming Arab and Kurdish fighters, working with them as well in the illicit trafficking of stolen Syrian oil.

On Wednesday, the Trump and Erdogan regimes agreed on establishing a so-called "safe zone" in northern Syria, a pretext for the US and Turkey to pursue their imperial interests.

Turkey's war ministry said a Joint Action Center will be set up "as soon as possible," falsely claiming a "corridor of peace" will follow to let refugees return home — Syrian victims of US aggression, Washington and Ankara indifferent to their rights and welfare.

Damascus denounced the move, calling it a "blatant attack" on the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, along with a "dangerous escalation and a threat to peace and stability in the area."

A Syrian source added that "the agreement has very clearly exposed the US-Turkish partnership in the aggression against Syria which serves the interest of the Israeli occupation entity and the Turkish expansionist ambitions, and it unequivocally exposed the misleading and evasiveness which govern the policies of the Turkish regime."

It's unclear if Kurdish YPG fighters will agree with the US/Turkish scheme, details of how it's to be implemented unclear so far.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, Kurdish citizens of Syria "have been misled (to become) a tool and a pretext for this US-Turkish hostile project."

They bear…responsibility for that emerging situation, and it is time to reconsider their calculations and to stand by the side of all the Syrians and the Syrian Arab Army in defending the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic and its territorial integrity."

An earlier US/Turkish agreement in northern Syria was never implemented, perhaps the latest one to go the same way.

Leadership of both countries time and again say one thing and do another. Neither can be trusted, especially not when they have imperial aims in mind.

Obama-launched aggression, escalated by Trump, rages in its 9th year with no prospect for resolution because the US rejects restoration of peace and stability to the country.

On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Melvut Cavusoglu said Ankara won't allow establishment of a northern Syrian zone free from YPG fighters to be delayed.

Either Washington and Ankara will create it together or Turkey will go it alone.

On Wednesday, Turkish war minister Hulusi Akar said "(w)e witnessed with satisfaction that our partners (the US) grew closer to our position. The meetings were positive and quite constructive," adding:

"Our plans, preparations, the deployment of our units in the field are all complete. But we said we wanted to act together with our friend and ally, the United States. If that isn't possible, we have said multiple times that we will do what is necessary."

On paper, both countries agreed to the following:

"1. the rapid implementation of initial measures to address Turkey's security concerns;

2. to set up as soon as possible a joint operations center in Turkey to coordinate and manage the establishment of the safe zone together;

3. that the safe zone shall become a peace corridor, and that any additional measures shall be taken for our displaced Syrian brothers to return to their country."

Reportedly the so-called "peace corridor" will extend 30 to 40 km into northeastern Syria — Damascus having no say over how its territory is carved up by two illegal occupying powers, the Trump and Erdogan regimes.

Meanwhile, endless war rages. Wherever US forces show up, mass slaughter, destruction, and human misery follow.

The US came to Syria and its other war theaters to stay. Millions of corpses attest to its barbarity.

Millions more victims suffer from the fallout of its imperial rage — no end of it in prospect.

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