John Dolva Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 KOBANÊ - ANF It has been discovered that the ISIS gangs who launched this morning's attacks on Kobanê from Mürşit Pınar border gate and Kaniya Kurda were dressed in Turkish miltary uniforms and shaved themselves in order to pass as soldiers. According to the information obtained by the ANF reporter in Kobanê, the ISIS gang members who launched the attack on the town were dressed in Turkish military uniforms and shaved their beards in order to pass as soldiers. KOBANÊ - ANF Fighters of the YPG/YPJ (People's/Women's Defense Units) who have launched an operation against ISIS gangs that infiltrated into Kobanê today, have taken control of the points where ISIS gangs were present. The operation of Defense Units continues against the gang members that remained stuck in a school near the government building. Three members of the gangs have reportedly been captured alive. While fighting continues between the YPG/YPJ fighters and the gangs surrounded at the high school in city center, many other gang members have reportedly been encircled at another point in the city. Apart from these two locations, the entire city has been cleansed of gangs. On the other hand, 3 ISIS members have been captured alive by YPG/YPJ. Local sources reported that the captured are Turkish citizens. The gang groups are reported to have suffered many casualties in the school and it is reported to be a matter of time before they are cleared there. ANKARA - ANF People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ held a press conference in the party headquarters regarding the ISIS attacks on Kobanê this morning. Yüksekdağ said that the Turkish government must prove that it is not involved in the attacks, and failure to do so would show the truth in the accusations and claims of the Kurdish forces. Yüksekdağ stressed that the Turkish government could accept neither the electoral success of HDP nor the military success of YPG/YPJ forces in Girê Sipî. HDP Co-President added that the attacks on Kobanê were planned as an act of revenge. Yüksekdağ further stressed that the support of the Turkish government to ISIS gangs has been documented several times so far, and said that the government is responsible for proving that it has not been involved in the attacks. Yüksekdağ said that Kurdish forces did not have the responsibility to prove that today’s attack was carried out with the support of the Turkish government. Yüksekdağ also said the Turkish government was not disturbed by having a border with ISIS gangs, but is disturbed now due to the liberation of Girê Sipî. Yüksekdağ added that Turkish authorities have expressed their distress at the success of YPG/YPJ in Girê Sipî many times, and that it is those authorities that are responsible for today’s attack on Kobanê. KOBANÊ - ANF The death toll of civilians massacred by ISIS gangs that had infiltrated into Kobanê early this morning has increased to 42, while the number of the wounded has been reported as 55. In the meantime, the operations of the YPG/YPJ and Asayish (Security) forces against the gangs continue. According to ANHA News Agency, ISIS gangs have massacred 22 civilians in the town centre, while 55 others have been wounded. There is no information currently available about the 5 families abducted by ISIS gangs. Meanwhile, ISIS gangs massacred over 20 civilians in BerxBotan village located 30 km to the south of Kobanê. The death toll thus increased to 42, while 55 civilians were wounded. It has been reported that YPG/YPJ fighters and Asayish forces have cleared many areas that had been infiltrated by ISIS gangs, while 11 gang members who were positioned in Azadi Square and the school nearby were killed. The extensive cleaning operation launched by YPG/YPJ forces has been reported to continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Friday, June 26, 2015 at 3:00 PM KOBANÊ - ANF Rojava Institution of Martyrs' Families announced that the number of those killed in yesterday's attack by ISIS in Kobanê rose to 152. The statement said that 26 of the victims were killed in the village of Berxbotan south of Kobanê, and 126 in the city center. According to the Institution, 180 others were wounded in the attack, while the figure of the casualties could be higher. Friday, June 26, 2015 at 4:00 PM KOBANÊ - ANF YPG/YPJ operations against ISIS gangs who attacked civilians in Kobanê continue. YPG Media Center stated that ISIS gangs attempted another attack from the west near the village of Şexler a Jorin this morning. YPG/YPJ quickly encircled the gangs who crossed Euphrates River by boats and the clashes here continue. YPG Media Center stated that YPG/YPJ forces also encircled ISIS gangs in four different locations within the city center and the clashes have been continuing since yesterday. YPG/YPJ forces destroyed 2 vehicles and seized another 2 as well as large amounts of guns and ammunition. 3 YPG/YPJ fighters lost their lives during the clashes in Kobanê city center. ATTACK ATTEMPT FROM WESTERN KOBANÊ YPG said that ISIS gangs attempted another attack from the west near the village of Şexler a Jorin this morning. YPG/YPJ quickly encircled the gangs who crossed Euphrates River by boats and the clashes here continue. YPG Media Center stated ISIS gangs attacked Şehîd Xabur hill from two different directions and targeted Mecmela Gazê region from 3 different locations, and the clashes to the south of Kobanê continue. Although the number of people who died and got injured during these clashes is not determined yet, YPG/YPJ forces killed at least 6 gang members and seized large amounts of guns and ammunitions. One YPG/YPJ fighter and one Şemsî Şîmal warrior were martyred during these clashes, and 3 YPG/YPJ forces died during the clashes in the village of Berxbatan yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 12:00 PM KOBANÊ - ANF The number of civilians massacred by ISIS in Kobanê city center and Berx Botan village rose to 201. According to the information ANHA reporters received from mobile hospital officials, the number of civilians massacred by barbaric ISIS gangs in Kobanê and Berx Botan rose to 201. The majority of the massacred civilians are women and children, and the number of those who were injured reached 249. YPG/YPJ forces fully cleansed Kobanê of ISIS gangs after an operation launched following the massacre in the town perpetrated by gang groups on June 25. The operation of YPG/YPJ forces now continues in villages to the south of Kobanê. YPG/YPJ and Asayish forces have been carrying out operations against ISIS gang members who had infiltrated into the town. Gang members were encircled in Mektel and Martyr Moro neighbourhoods as well as the Miştenur Hospital for two days. The gang members in Miştenur Hospital exploded themselves as they did not have any opportunity to escape anymore after the YPG/YPJ forces' operation this morning. The resistance forces then extended their operation to Martyr Moro and Mektel neighbourhoods and cleansed the whole area of the gangs by 12:00 this noon. It has been reported that out of the 70 gang members who had infiltrated into the town, 60 were killed during the operations. As cleaning and searching activities continue in the town centre, YPG/YPJ forces were deployed to the south of the town to expulse gang members from villages. New reports say that ISIS gangs force the Kurdish people in Tebqa to leave their houses after ISIS compelled the Kurds in Raqqa to leave the town. It has been reported that ISIS gangs gave 24 hours to Kurdish people to leave Tebqa. According to the reports of local sources, ISIS gangs continue their ethnic cleansing operations against Kurdish people. The gangs are now compelling the Kurdish people in Tebqa to leave their houses. The gangs announced that Kurdish people must leave the city in 24 hours and would be killed if they failed to do so. Reports are coming through that Kurdish people are leaving all of their belongings behind and moving to Kobanê and Efrîn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 HESEKÊ - ANF A big explosion took place in Hesekê after ISIS gangs’ bombardment of a Syrian army diesel fuel storage facility. The explosion took place in an area under Syrian regime control as clashes between ISIS gangs and regime forces continue. A big fire began after the explosion and flames can be seen from 15 km away from the city. NEWS DESK - ANF YPG Media Center reported that the Commander Rubar Qamışlo Initiative continues as YPG/YPJ forces advance along the Raqqa-Girê Spî road. YPG Basın Merkezi stated that the Commander Rubar Qamışlo Initiative continues on its 52nd day as YPG/YPJ forces continue advancing along the Raqqa-Girê Spî road. Clashes with ISIS gangs that began last night on this road continue today. KOBANÊ - ANF More information on the connections between Turkey and ISIS gangs who massacred more than 200 civilians in Kobanê emerges. One of the gangs killed by YPG/YPJ forces carried an ID card for the Süleyman Şah Accomodation Facility located in Urfa’s Akçakale district. The ID card was issued by Akçakale governorate for Tel Abyad-born Ahmed Hesen who was staying in a camp called Süleyman Şah Accommodation Facility. After capturing Gire Spi (Tel Abyad), YPG had stated that hundreds of gangs had crossed over to Turkey. Documents on the bodies of the gangs in Kobanê strengthen the suspicions over Turkey’s central role in the massacre in the town. ISIS supporters had broadcast a video online showing Turkish-speaking ISIS gangs who were infiltrating into Kobanê in order to massacre civilians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Will Turkey invade Syria and Rojava? We recently posed the question on this blog of whether or not Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led government would lauch a cross-border military operation into Syria and Rojava. The question arose after Turkey's President Erdoğan and others in his government reacted harshly to Rojava's People's/Women's Defense Forces (YPG/YPJ) and allied forces liberating Gire Spi (Tel Abyad) in their struggle against ISIS and taking the Akçakale border crossing, cutting off ISIS supply lines from Turkey, and then repelling an attack by ISIS fighters on Kobanê. The ISIS incursion came from the north, from Turkey, and there is growing evidence that the ISIS gangs received some help while on Turkish soil. Fighting around Kobanê and in the Hesekê region is continuing, as are YPG/YPJ operations on the Raqqa-Girê Spî road being carried out as part of the liberation movement's Commander Rubar Qamislo Initiative, which was launched on May 6. The YPG/YPJ operations have united diverse forces in the anti-ISIS struggle and have worked to unite Rojava's three cantons while also threatening ISIS in Raqqa, their regional capital.President Erdoğan again made his position known when he said yesterday that “I am appealing to the whole world. We will never allow the establishment of a state in Syria’s north and our south. We will continue our fight in this regard no matter what it costs. They want to complete the operation to change the demographic structure of the region. We will not turn a blind eye to this.” He also tweeted “We will not shut our eyes against the terror organizations’ efforts to change the chaos in the region into an opportunity” and “No country has put forth its stance against the incidents, first in Kobane and also in Syria and Iraq, like Turkey has...Our aim is to salve the wounds of our brothers who have been victimized and oppressed.” We have summarized his remarks as meaning that Erdoğan prefers ISIS on the border rather than democratic and revolutionary Rojava, that he is playing fast and loose with the "terrorist" label and that he is playing an ethnic card by bringing up in coded terms the Turkmen minority in Rojava and Syria. We have underscored that the leadership in Rojava is focused on beating ISIS and becoming part of a democratic Syria.Now the Turkish foreign minister is saying that any "necessary announcements" about a Turkish cross-border military operation will be made tomorrow after the National Security Council (MGK) meets. “We have a MGK meeting tomorrow; we will make the necessary announcements afterwards,” the state-run Anadolu Agency reported Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu as saying today. The foreign ministry and the MGK will determine what is necessary to announce.Hürriyet Daily News reported yesterday that Turkey’s government wants a military action to support the Free Syrian Army (FSA) against the Syrian regime and both Kurdish and ISIS (or similar) forces in Syrian territory, but that the military is reluctant to do so as efforts are underway in Turkey to form a new coalition government. We have noted previously on this blog that the YPG/YPJ is already allied with factions of the FSA, so Erdoğan's push to invade northern Syria and establish some kind of buffer zone or seize land and resources might well fracture the FSA and give ISIS a new advantage. It would certainly provoke much regional opposition to Turkey and would put the US and the European countries who are part of the anti-ISIS coalition in a difficult position.The Turkish government has a range of military options to choose from, from missile and artillery fire to air and land operations, and there is the possibility that the government will also attempt to build a wall along the 911-kilometer border that reminds us of what the zionists have done in Palestine. Hürriyet Daily News has indicated that some of these options might be primarily focused on hitting ISIS positions, but we doubt this. All of the options are guaranteed to draw the Syrian regime and the liberation forces into a direct and violent conflict with Turkey's government and all seem to give ISIS an opening, even if Turkey's military hits ISIS positions in the early stages of an enlarged conflict.The Chief of General Staff seems to be delaying out of a concern with international law and politics and as everyone questions what the al-Assad regime in Syria and the US, Russia and Iran might do in reaction to a Turkish military action. Still, the military has also reportedly asked the government to lay the diplomatic groundwork to facilitate an operation and has apparently given some of the preparatory orders needed. It is difficult for us to imagine that a ground operation can be put together as quickly as the General Staff and Erdoğan hope and we think that any such operation could not go more than 20-30 kilometers into Syria. That's far enough to provoke a wider war, of course, and it would entail a massive wave of repression in Turkey as masses of people oppose an invasion. The possibility that a military action would either preempt or subvert a new government from forming in Turkey and charting a different path seems quite real to us.If the government's concern is the Aleppo region, as some people believe, then all bets are off as the fighting would surely turn towards Rojava's Afrin canton and would involve a confrontation with Syrian regime forces as well. Turkey's restive Hatay province would become a key point if such a scenario played out. The AKP can use this situation in order to create chaos and then appeal to the people or to the military to establish order on a different basis than the June 7 elections. The Syrian regime may be assuming that the Turkish target is the Aleppo region, at least in part, and the regime stepped up fighting against ISIS in the area over the weekend in what may be an effort to change the face of things on the ground. ISIS forces there are moving towards the Turkish border.Iran’s ambassador to Turkey, Ali Reza Bikdeli, has said that any action by Turky to interfere in Syria will destroy Turkey’s capacity to maintain peace and stability in the region. He took a public position that is something like optimism by saying, "This issue came up several times. And, at the time, Turkey’s official authorities refuted these allegations...We hope Turkey and Iran will jointly use their capacities to achieve peace and stability.”YPG/YPJ forces liberated 3 villages to the east of Heseke this weekend and forced and ISIS retreat in the area. The YPG also beat back and ISIS attack in the Ezîziyê neighborhood of Heseke. Prior to this, ISIS hit a Syrian army diesel fuel storage facility in Hesekê. Fierce clashes are also taking place between the regime forces and the ISIS gangs in the Sekin Şebabi-Neşwa Xerbi neighborhoods there.The executive assembly of Rojava's Cezîre Canton issued a statement yesterday saying that the latest attacks on Hesekê aim to create trouble between the communities of the city and to frighten people in order make people leave. The assembly said in their statement that they want people in Hesekê to unite and defend themselves against the massacres and also said that that people in Hesekê should fight these attacks because the ISIS gangs will not stop their attacks on civilians and that the YPG and YPJ aims to liberate all of the cities and towns from ISIS. The statement also said that the Commander Rûbar Qamişlo Operation aims to fulfill the responsibility of protecting Rojava and the people from the ISIS gangs and urges all of the people in Hesekê and in other regions of Rojava to unite for their defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Syrian Christian leader tells West: 'Stop arming terror groups who are massacring our people' --------------- http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=db2_1435768710 ===================================================== The world leader of Syria's besieged Christians has issued a heartfelt plea to the West to "stop arming and supporting terrorist groups that are destroying our countries and massacring our people."The Patriarch of Antioch, Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, said he was not asking the West for military intervention to defend Christians.If the West wants to do something about the present crisis, the most effective thing would be to support local governments, which need sufficient armies and forces to maintain security and defend respective populations against attacks."State institutions need to be strengthened and stabilised. Instead, what we see is their forced dismemberment being fuelled from the outside," he told Vatican Insider.Patriarch Aphrem, head of the Syrian Orthodox Church, said the most blasphemous thing a person can do is to call suicide bombers "martyrs"."Throughout its journey through history the Church has also been a suffering Church," he added. Speaking in the days after meeting the Pope in Rome, he had just returned from Qamishli, his home town, where he met thousands of new Christian refugees who fled after Islamic State jihadists attacked Hassake, in Jazira province.Islamic State terrorists who die while carrying out their atrocities regard such deaths as martyrdom. They believe it secures them passage to paradise.The Patriarch contradicted this view. He said: "Martyrdom is not a sacrifice offered to God, like those sacrifices which are offered to pagan gods. Christian martyrs do not seek martyrdom to demonstrate their faith. And they do not wilfully shed their blood in order to obtain God's favour or some other prize, like Paradise."Along with bishops of his church he recently had talks with President Assad of Syria. "President Assad urged us to do everything in our hands to prevent Christians from leaving Syria. 'I know you are suffering,' he said, 'but please don't leave this land, which has been your home for thousands of years, even before Islam came.' He said that Christians will also be needed when the time comes to rebuild this devastated country."He said the majority of Syrian citizens support Assad's government and have always supported it."We recognise legitimate rulers and pray for them, as the New Testament teaches us. We also see that on the other side there is no democratic opposition, only extremist groups. Above all, we see that in the past few years, these groups have been basing their actions on an ideology that comes from the outside, brought here by preachers of hatred who have come from and are backed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. These groups receive arms through Turkey too, as the media have shown us."He said Islamic State was not the Islam that Syrians have learned about andlived alongside for hundreds of years. "There are forces that fuel it with arms and money because it is useful in what Pope Francis calls the 'war fought piecemeal'. But all this also draws on a perverse religious ideology that claims to be inspired by the Koran."Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=db2_1435768710#7hwuw3cEAb0FCxEZ.99 Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=db2_1435768710#7hwuw3cEAb0FCxEZ.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Australian YPG fighter martyred in Mişêrfa YPG Press Office has announced in a written statement that Australian YPG fighter Reece Harding with nom de guerre Bagok Serhed, lost his life in Mişêrfa on 27 June 2015. Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 5:00 PM NEWS DESK - ANF YPG Press Office has announced in a written statement that Australian YPG fighter Reece Harding with nom de guerre Bagok Serhed, lost his life in Mişêrfa on 27 June 2015. YPG reported that Reece Harding had joined the YPG ranks on 4 May 2015 from Cizîr. YPG said in its statement that defenders of humanity have always got united around freedom, equality and peace and rebelled against repressions and cruelty throughout the history. YPG said the Kurdish people are today playing an important role in the most legitimate struggle of the peoples of the world and resisting against the dark powers and despotic ones. YPG stressed that the Kurdish people continue the resistance despite the losses and will continue this one of the longest and most difficult struggle in the world history. YPG said the struggle for freedom and equality is today being waged in Rojava, which has become the hope of all the female and male freedom lovers. YPG said young people from all over the world come and join the resistance in Rojava to realize the hope for freedom, adding that this truth proves that the humanity marches along around the same principles and for the same legitimate struggle. YPG said they have had many invaluable comrades and fighters during the struggle, adding that most of them have not known much about the other’s language, religion or culture, but came together around the same struggle. Reece Harding joined the YPG ranks on 4 May 2015 to fight against the ISIS gangs, receiving the nom de guerre of his friend Ashley Kent Johnston who also fell in the fight against the ISIS gangs in Rojava. YPG said Harding wanted to keep the hopes of Johnston alive and thus joined the fight. YPG said Harding was an intelligent and wise comrade, with a full sense of responsibility and sensitivity towards his friends, and a moral-boosting figure in the fight through his courage. It added that Harding would do anything, personal or military, to defend his friends and that he became a precedent person among his friends in a short time. Harding took part in the second stage of the operation Rubar Qamislo that was launched on 6 May and in the liberation of many villages achieved in the scope of the operation. YPG said Comrade Bagok (Reece) lost his life on 27 June as a result of a mine explosion in the operation to liberate Mişêrfa, which is located in the triangular area between Raqqa, Girê Sipî and Kobanê. The statement said YPG/YPJ fighters are deeply saddened by the loss of a cheerful friend. YPG offered condolences to the family of Reece Harding and to all the peoples and vowed to remain loyal to the hopes and struggle of Harding and to carry the struggle to a victorious end. The ID info of the fallen YPG fighter is as follows: Name and surname: Reece Harding Nome de Guerre: Bagok Serhed Place of birth: Middle Swan, Australia Date of birth: 31 August 1991 Date of participation: 04 May 2015 Date of death: 27 June 2015 Place of death: Mişêrfa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 NEWS DESK - ANFThe women’s organisations in Turkey have issued a joint statement calling out to Parliament, media and women urging everyone to prevent the war and to work for peace. The women said “Now that Turkey now has a parliament where differences of the country are well represented, do not bring the war and war bills as the solution of a problem”.The women’s organisations in Turkey have issued a joint statement under the title “We insist for peace” saying that women will maintain their determination to struggle for peace and warned the politicians and the media not to present the war as an alternative to a peaceful resolution.Women recalled the savage attack on Kobanê on 25 June, which claimed the lives of 230 civilians and said the massacre created deep sorrow and anger; however strengthened the will to struggle for peace rather than breaking it down.The statement of the women drew attention to the fact that the attack on Kobanê demonstrates the preperation of a new war period and said: “While there is a war outside the borders, it becomes all the more difficult to develop peace inside the borders. The peace process has come to a halt in the last 3 months. When we thought that a consensus was reached for the democratisation of Turkey and social peace, hatred, enmity and rage have become part of the daily life again”. Women added that these war policies are being developed despite the majority of the society having asked for peace in the last general elections.Calling out to politicians, women said “while there is a new parliament where the differences of the country is well represented, do not bring war and war bills as a solution to any problem”, and recalled that a new government has not yet been formed and thus a temporary government cannot take the decision of war in the name of millions. Women stressed that the majority of the society voted for peace in the elections and thus the new parliament must act to sustain peace and added that before the official start of the working of the new parliament, an old bill cannot be made the ground of war.Women also called on the media organs to be the voice of peace and to make peace journalism and language of peace prevail. Women also called on all the women to insist on peace and said: “We all know very well about what war means. This is why we have to insist on peace. Let us spread the peace to all the country and shout out altogether ‘we are determinate for peace’”.The joint statement was issued on the call of Women’s Initiative for Peace and undersigned by feminist organisations, women’s committees of trade unions, women student groups and various other independent women’s organisations.Friday, July 3, 2015 at 2:15 PMKOBANÊ - ANF -SEDAT SURYPG/YPJ fighters participating in the Kobanê Martyrs Revenge Initiative called upon young people to join their ranks and stated that ISIS gangs would pay heavily for each woman and children they massacred in the streets of Kobanê.Kobanê Martyrs Revenge Initiative aiming to bring ISIS gangs to account for their massacre and clear the town of Sirrin, located 40 km to the south of Kobanê, continues with great morale and determination. The initiative began on July 1 and YPG/YPJ fighters made significant gains as they reached the hills surrounding Sirrin.YPG/YPJ fighters Xelil Avreş, Rubar Afrin, Aras Delila Erzurum, Birinkur Pirsus, Sadun Botan, and Zelal Dilpak spoke to ANF about their thoughts and feelings on the operation.'WE INFLICT HEAVY BLOWS WITH THE MORALE WE RECEIVE FROM THE PEOPLE'Xelil Avreş: "I have participated in the initiative since its beginning. ISIS gangs use civilians as human shields in every location we attack. We use extreme precaution in order to not harm civilians and continue to inflict heavy blows on the gangs. Our initiative continues with great morale and enthusiasm, as YPG/YPJ fighters we are determined. Of course the attacks and massacres targeting our people upset us deeply, but we are determined to protect our people and inflict blows on the enemy. We fight for our people and the morale and trust they give enable us to continue our resistance.'WE WILL BE AFTER ISIS EVERYWHERE'Rubar Afrin: "I have been in Kobanê since the beginning of the war here and I participated in this initiative with great morale and enthusiasm. We inflicted heavy blows on the gangs and our advance continues rapidly. We seized large amounts of ammunitions and killed many gang members. YPG/YPJ will be after ISIS everywhere and this initiative will prevent other massacre attempts in Kobanê. We do not view our initiative as a mere act of revenge but an effort to ensure the peace and security of our people in Kobanê. We will succeed.'WOMEN CAN JOIN OUR RANKS'Zelal Dilpak: "I am from Kobanê. This initiative aims to bring ISIS gangs to account for their massacre in Kobanê, which we will never forget. Gangs will pay for every one of their murders and we are fully prepared to prevent future massacre attempts. Our morale is high and I am very happy to participate in this revenge initiative, just like every other fighter here. Our morale is high and we go to our operations with slogans and folk dances.I would like to say this to women; women have shown their will during Kobanê resistance. They can now join our ranks and help repel gangs’ massacre attempts on Kobanê. ISIS targets women the most and as women, we should resist the gangs and defend ourselves in order to prevent future massacre attempts.'GANGS CANNOT RESIST US'Sadun Botan: "I have been in the Sirrin initiative since its beginning. We liberated many villages and the gangs cannot resist us. They try to escape but they will not be able to do so. We will chase the gangs until wherever they go and avenge the death of every woman and child they massacred in the streets of Kobanê. We will make ISIS pay heavily, and of course our initiative aims to liberate Sirrin from the gangs.'OUR LEADER’S PHILOSOPHY WILL GROW STRONGER'Birinkur Pirsus: "Anger and determination are the most important components of this initiative. With the anger towards the massacre in Kobanê, we advanced rapidly in two days. Gangs do not have the chance to escape us, they will not save themselves no matter where they escape. They use civilians as human shields in every village we enter, and we punish the gangs without harming a single civilian. They will not hold on to Sirrin and we will turn every gang location into a grave. People of Kurdistan should strive towards the freedom of all four parts of the country and strengthening of our Leader’s philosophy. Young people should join our ranks and we must continue our resistance because we will not be free until the invigoration of our Leadership’s philosophy.'OUR PEOPLE CAN BE AT PEACE'Aras Delila Erzurum: "I participated in this initiative with my own will and determination. I participated in order to avenge the massacre of every women and men in Kobanê. This operation means a lot to us, we will revenge everyone who was massacred in Kobanê. Our people can be at peace, we will take every necessary precaution and avenge the death of every civilian in Kobanê. BEHDINAN - ANFPeople’s Defence Forces has announced that there is a remarkable increase in the military activity of the Turkish forces in North Kurdistan and the borders of guerrilla controlled zones. HPG reported that the bombardments, ambushes and operations of the Turkish army continue increasingly, adding that random fires are being opened from many military posts on the guerrilla zones in the last days.HPG firstly reported the following info regarding the flights of war planes over guerrilla zones:-Over Xakurke area of Medya Defence Zones at between 13:00 - 17:00 on 2 July,-Over Zap region at between 13:00 - 14:00 on 2 July and at between 02:00 - 05:00 on 3 July.Regarding the drone activities carrying out reconnaissance flights, HPG gave the following info:-Over Zagros area at between 20:00, 2 July and 12:00, 3 July,-Over Martyr Rahime and Martyr Şukê areas at the Avashin borderline at between 11:00 - 12:00 on 2 and 3 July,-Over Metina area at between 20:00 - 22:00 on 2 July, and at between 2:00 - 11:00 on 3 July,- Over Zap region at between 17:00 - 20:00 on 2 July and at between 05:00 - 12:00 on 3 July,- Over Kela Memê line, Besta and Kato areas of Şırnak at between 17:00, 1 July and 10:00, 3 July.HPG further reported that Turkish soldiers laid ambushes in the area between Qadya and Xırvata villages of Yüksekova district of Hakkari at 08:00 on 2 July, while the operation was retreated at 10:00 after local people reacted to the military activities.Regarding the bombardments with mortar fires, HPG gave the following information:- Mortar and howitzer fires from Oremar military posts in Yüksekova district of Hakkari on Martyr Bager area at the Avashin border line at between 08:00 - 17:30 on 2 July,- Bombardment with tanks and mortar fires from Oremar military post on Martyr Gafur, Martyr Bager, Martyr Afat and Şaxê Nêrîya areas at between 06:00 - 07:00 on 3 July,- Mortar and howitzer fire on Partizan area at the Heftanin border line at 12: 00 on 2 July,- Random fire with heavy weaponry from Serbesta military post in Uludere district of Şırnak on the surrounding area at 14:00 on 2 July,- Random fire with heavy weaponry from Bilican military posts at the border of Zap region on its surrounding area at between 18:00 - 19:00 on 2 July,HPG lastly reported that guerrilla forces carried out a warning action on the military post, the construction of which has been recently started in the dam construction area in Farqin district of Amed. HPG said the guerrillas damaged an armoured vehicle at 10:00 on 2 July during the deployment of armoured vehicles to the construction area.Friday, July 3, 2015 at 4:00 PMKOBANÊ - ANF- SEDAT SURYPJ Kobanê Commander Engizek Nurhak, one of the fighters organizing Kobanê Martyrs Revenge Initiative, stated that they were near the entrance of Sırrin and the clashes around the town continue. Nurhak said that the initiative continues successfully and the YPG/YPJ spirit for revenge would crush the gangs. Nurhak called on people to organize self-defense forces.The Kobanê Martyrs Revenge Initiative that began on July 1 continues as YPG/YPJ forces liberate many areas from ISIS gangs. YPG/YPJ fighters reached the hill on the outskirts of Sırrin and can now see the town.YPJ Kobanê Commander Engizek Nurhak spoke to ANF and evaluated the operation that began as a furious response to the massacre that took place in Kobanê.'THE INITIATIVE TOOK ON A NEW MEANING AFTER THE MASSACRE'Nurhak said that that they launched the initiative in three different fronts after the liberation of Kobanê city center. Nurhak stated that the initiative aimed to expulse ISIS gangs and reach the previous borders of Kobanê canton.Nurhak recalled the brutal and cowardly massacre ISIS gangs carried out in Kobanê, and said that this massacre shows how great of a danger ISIS is to the civilians who live in and around Kobanê. Nurhak stated that the initiative took on a new meaning after the massacre and aims to liberate the town of Sırrin from ISIS gangs as well as avenging the massacre of civilians in Kobanê.Nurhak said that they were determined to bring ISIS gangs to account for the massacre they carried out, and all YPG/YPJ fighters were eager to join the Sırrin initiative. Nurhan added that many YPG/YPJ fighters volunteered to carry out acts of self-sacrifice but such sacrifices were not necessary at the moment.'WE ARE NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF SIRRİN'Nurhak stated that the initiative continued in great morale and enthusiasm, and both the commanders and the fighters feel angry. Nurhak said that only a few fighters got injured and there have not been any casualties so far, whereas more than 40 gang members were killed. Nurhak added that they seized large amounts of guns and ammunition as the gangs continue to receive heavy blows.Nurhak reported that they liberated many villages surrounding Sırrin, and came near the entrance of Sırrin, where clashes between YPG/YPJ fighters and ISIS gangs continue.'WE WILL GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO RAQQA IF NECESSARY’Nurhak emphasized that their main goal was to expulse ISIS gangs from Sırrin, which was used as an attack base during the ISIS assault on Kobanê. Nurhak said that one of the groups that carried out the Kobanê massacre infiltrated from Sırrin and the liberation of the town would help prevent future massacre attempts. Nurhak said that they would go all the way down to Raqqa if necessary and expulse ISIS gangs from everywhere in order to create a democratic Syria. Nurhak emphasized that their forces were ready to fight not only for Kurdistan but also for peoples everywhere who are under ISIS occupation.‘YPJ HAS KEY ROLE IN THE INITIATIVE’Nurhak highlighted the key role of YPJ in the operation and said that YPJ fighters and commanders play an active role just like they did during the resistance in Kobanê city center. Nurhak added that YPJ and YPG participate in the initiative with an equal number of attack and operation forces.'YPJ’S SPRIT OF REVENGE WILL CRUSH THE GANGS'Nurhak reminded that ISIS attacks target women and the majority of the casualties in Kobanê massacre were women. Nurhak stated that ISIS gangs did this on purpose and the YPJ initiative would avenge every women massacred in Kobanê. Nurhak added that the YPJ spirit of revenge would crush the gangs.'OUR PEOPLE COULD PARTICIPATE IN SELF-DEFENSE'Nurhak underlined the need for civilians in Kobanê canton to organize their self-defense and said that civilians did not necessarily have to join the YPG or YPJ. Nurhak invited civilians to protect their houses and streets, which would buy YPG/YPJ fighters significant time in the case of responding to an ISIS attack on a civilian population. Nurhak ended by saying that everyone should draw lessons from the last massacre and take necessary precautions in order to defend their lands, towns and villages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at 10:00 AM NEWS DESK - ANF Fascistic ISIS gangs that have resorted to mass killings with bomb attacks after the major defeat they suffered in Kobanê and Girê Spî, have been spotted at Turkish border preparing for an attack on Serêkaniyê city of the Cizîre Canton in West Kurdistan, Rojava. An ISIS group of 60-70 militants was noticed preparing for an attack near the border gate between Serêkaniyê city of Rojava and Ceylanpınar district of Urfa, North Kurdistan. Detained by Turkish soldiers after being realized and informed against by the local people, the group was released after a little instead of being arrested. In the summer and autumn months of 2013, over 30 members of gang groups, including those from Al Nusra, did similarly use the Ceylanpınar border gate in attacking and occupying the Serêkaniyê city. The gangs used buildings of the Directorate of Agricultural Enterprises on the Turkish side of the border as their base. While Ceylanpınar border gate was held open during the occupation of Serêkaniyê by the gangs, Turkey closed the gate and built a wall at the border after the ISIS occupation in the city was ended by fighters of the YPG/YPJ (People's/Women's Defense Units). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Turkish borders open for ISIS Residents of Elbeyli district of Kilis province stated that the current military deployment does not aim an attack on Rojava but to extend ISIS rule in the region. Wednesday, July 8, 2015 at 11:00 AM KİLİS - ANF Residents of Elbeyli district of Kilis province stated that the current military deployment does not aim an attack on Rojava but to extend ISIS rule in the region. DİHA cameras had filmed ISIS gangs as they were crossing the border and Elbeyli residents said that the borders were open for ISIS. The deployment of tanks, armored vehicles and special operations forces intimidate Elbeyli residents who stated that the military deployment was aiming to prevent the finalization of the three cantons’ unification after the victory of Girê Spî. Elbeyli residents said that ISIS gangs around the border could cross the border as they pleased and constantly threatened civilians living in the district. Many Elbeyli residents suggested that the deployment of Turkish soldiers was aiming to strengthen ISIS so that the gangs could repel YPG/YPJ operations in the region. ISIS rules both sides of the border Elbeyli has 2,900 residents and became a district in 1995 when Kilis was given city status. Villages of Beylerbeyi and Çangallı lie to the east of the border in Karkamış and the refugee camps of Selhen, Çıldırabi, Havuzluçam and Elbeyli are located to the west of the district. Villages of Bablimon, Xeliliye, Eyaşe, Mola Yakup, Hedebed, Çobanbey (Rai), Tel Ehmar, Zetiye, Xelfetli, Kura Mezere, Düden, Karaköprü, Hewar Kilis, İğde and Ezaz are located along the border in northern Rojava. Turkish army controls the Turkish side of the border and ISIS gangs occupy the towns of Bab, Cerablus and Çobanbey that are located on the Rojava side of the border. This region is also the area through which aid and personnel are sent to the gangs in Aleppo. Important route of 110 km Located on the eastern bank of Euphrates River, Cerablus lies within the range of YPG/YPJ in Kobanê. YPG/YPJ forces in Efrin are located to the west of Ezaz, which is across from Kilis and under Islamic Front control. Civilians living in the region stated that the liberation of the 110 km route of Cerablus-Ezaz could inflict a serious blow on ISIS presence in Syria and bring the failure of Turkish policies on Syria. Soldiers and ISIS collaborate in Çobanbey Elbeyli residents stated that at least 100 ISIS gangs cross over to Rojava from Turkey through Elbeyli every day, and the military deployment on the border aims to strengthen ISIS so that the gangs repel YPG/YPJ operations in the region. Elbeyli residents said that ISIS gangs often use the 500 m route between Öangallı and Beylerbeyi as well as Selhen village for their border crossings, and collaborate with Turkish soldiers stationed in Çobanbey train station. Gangs crossing the border on camera Elbeyli residents stated that the gangs threatened everyone who does not support them, and DİHA cameras have caught ISIS gangs as they were crossing the border near Çangallı village. Elbeyli residents said that civilians initially had a positive view of ISIS but this perception quickly changed when the gangs began to collaborate with Turkish soldiers and took control of the district. Yıldırım: Ditch at border is evidence of Turkey's animosity towards KurdsThe Turkish state, which is preparing for a new war by making an intense military deployment at the border to Rojava following the liberation of Girê Spî by YPG/YPJ, has accelerated the digging of the ditch at the border between Qamışlo and Nusaybin. Wednesday, July 8, 2015 at 10:00 AM MARDİN - ANF - RUKEN ADALI The Turkish state, which is preparing for a new war by making an intense military deployment at the border to Rojava following the liberation of Girê Spî by YPG/YPJ (People's/Women's Defense Units), has accelerated the digging of the ditch at the border between Qamışlo city of West Kurdistan and Nusaybin district of Mardin, North Kurdistan. The length of the 3 meters deep and 2 meters wide ditch has exceeded 500 meters. Turkey had previously started building a wall at the Nusaybin-Qamışlo border which was however stopped as a result of increasing protests, including a hunger strike by then mayor of Nusaybin, Ayşe Gökkan, and demos by the local people. HDP Mardin Deputy Gülser Yıldırım who spoke to ANF regarding the recent developments told that the ditch dug at Nusaybin-Qamışlo border was an evidence of Turkey's animosity towards Kurds, and warned that a probable military intervention by Turkey in Rojava and Syria would drag Turkey into the fire in the Middle East, and incite a major civil war in Turkey. Remarking that the governor of Mardin indicated a “security reason” for the digging of the ditch during a meeting with co-mayors of Nusaybin Municipality, Yıldırım said this was not a convincing or realistic explanation, adding; “They are placing wire fences, mines, building walls and now, digging a ditch at the border which in fact needs to be removed. This is not a solution. This is a severing of the people from each other.” Putting emphasis on the ties of the people at two sides of the border, Yıldırım recalled that thousands of people have lost their lives due to the mines placed at the border for years now, while also bearing an anger and pain because of the wire fences placed there to seperate them from each other. "Digging of a ditch at a time when the meaninglessness of the border has already revealed itself, means rubbing salt into the people's wounds bleeding for years." Describing the digging of ditches at border as an indication of Turkish state's policy and stance towards Rojava, Yıldırım said the ditches have been dug against the gains of the Kurdish people, and manifested the intolerance to the self-determination of the people. 'ISIS IS THE GREATEST DANGER FOR TURKEY' HDP deputy Yıldırım said the digging of ditches couldn't be handled independently of the military deployment at the border, and continued; "Why was military deployment and intervention not this much on the agenda before the liberation of Girê Spî from ISIS, which was actually for the benefit of Turkey? We all know for certain that the Kurds there will constitute no threat against Turkey. Why is the Turkish state doing this despite knowing that it will provide no benefit to pursue this much hostile policies against the people of Rojava? This is an indication of the fact that Turkey wants peace neither inside nor outside its borders. If there is a threat against Turkey in question, that is the threat constituted by ISIS itself." Emphasising that an attack on Rojava wouldn't remain limited within the border of Rojava alone, Yıldırım said this was also known clearly by the Turkish state itself. Deputy Yıldırım said they as HDP would do their best to avoid the eruption of a civil war, adding that this was the duty of everyone that didn't want Turkey to be dragged into this fire in the Middle East. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 11:30 AM HESEKÊ - ANF Forces of the YPG/YPJ (People's/Women's Defense Units) have taken control of all the roads leading to Hesekê. After encircling the ISIS gang groups in the city, Defense Units also seized control of the juvenile's prison. ISIS gangs had made advances in some neighborhoods and seized many public buildings in Hesekê after regime forces did not resist to the attacks gangs launched on the city on 24 June. With operations against ISIS in the city, YPG/YPJ forces continue to reseize the points te gangs took from regime forces without facing any resistance. GANGS ENCIRCLED As a result of operations against ISIS gangs attempting occupation efforts near the city of Hesekê, fighters of the Defense Units cleared and took control of a large area extending from Mount Evdileziz to Xabur River one week ago. The Juvenile's Prision which witnessed fierce clashes has also been liberated by YPG/YPJ this morning. Defense Units have also encircled all the gang groups in the neighborhoods of Neşwa and Xiwêran and at the Panaroma Crossroads of strategic importance at the southern entrance of the city. With the operations conducted last night, YPG/YPJ forces have also taken the Dêr Ez-Zor road under their control. All the gang groups in city center have thus been surrounded. Yesterday, YPG/YPJ forces liberated the power center to the south of the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 BEHDINAN - ANF Releasing a statement to mark the third year anniversary of Rojava Revolution, KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council Co-Presidency commemorated revolutionary martyrs and described Rojava Revolution as the first major revolution of the 21st century. In its statement, KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency stated that Rojava was not only a Kurdistan revolution but also a revolution of the Middle East. KCK pointed out that the revolution of democratic society, democratic confederalism, democratic socialism and democratic autonomy, described by Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) as Democratic Modernity, would take its place in history and trigger more revolutions by impacting the rest of the Middle East. KCK commemorated the martyrs who fell during the making of Rojava revolution, and promised to honor their memories by achieving victory. KCK emphasized the 20 years-long work of Leader Apo in Rojava, Syria, and the Middle East as the foundation of Rojava Revolution, and said that the 40 years-old Kurdish Freedom Movement led by Leader Apo realized the Revolution in Rojava. The statement by KCK also underlined that Rojava Revolution survived against all sorts of attacks because of the content Leader Apo gave to Rojava as well as the spirit of July 14 resistance in Amed, noting that such a revolution characterized by determination could not be defeated. In its statement, KCK remarked that a revolution that is based on a democratic society and the system of democratic confederalism was bound to stand tall in the face of attacks because of the power democratic society gave to the revolution. KCK emphasized that the women’s liberation perspective systematized in the democratic revolution empowered the entire society and made the revolution invincible. Pointing out that Rojava Revolution also revealed peoples’ resistance through its heroic martyrs who fell in the defense of their peoples’ freedom, KCK said that peoples’ resistance was the only security of Rojava Revolution, and this resistance was made possible with the women’s revolution inside Rojava. KCK said; “Despite being the smallest part of Kurdistan, Rojava has produced a revolution that is recognized and supported by the entire world”, and noted that Rojava Revolution enabled the worldwide recognition of Kurdish identity, and the day of Kobanê on November 1 contributed to the invincibility of the revolution by bringing international support to Rojava. “Receiving the support of peoples and democracy forces in the world is more invaluable than anything, morally and materially, and this support has contributed to the legitimacy of Rojava Revolution”, KCK said, emphasizing that Rojava Revolution would resist all attacks and repel brutal ISIS gangs with its heroic resistance. Recalling that ISIS was a fascist group of gangs that was threatening not only the Kurds but also all peoples of the world, KCK noted that resisting these fascist gangs meant resisting reactionary forces in the Middle East, and Rojava Revolution would unlock the door of a revolution in the Middle East by defeating ISIS. Describing ISIS as counter-revolutionary, KCK said that the defeat of ISIS and its allies such as Turkey would initiate a revolution across the Middle East and end the decades-long chaos of the region. KCK said that a Middle Eastern Revolution would not only end reactionary politics that have emerged as a product of the 5 thousand years-old statist system, but also establish a free and democratic life by taking the region’s moral civilization as opposed to the West’s material civilization as its basis. KCK reassured that Rojava Revolution, led by Leader Apo’s principle of democratic revolution, would soon succeed and enlighten the entire globe. KCK ended its statement by saluting all martyrs that fell in the heroic defense of Rojava Revolution, and said that the resistance of these martyrs would soon liberate all peoples and establish a democratic and communal life in the region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 repeat info Conspiracy against Syria & Iran initiated in 2007 Introduction by Brandon Martinez Here are excerpts from a 2007 report from award winning journalist Seymour Hersh. His report, published in the New Yorker under the heading “The Redirection,” outlines in clear language that the conspiracy to topple the governments of Syria and Iran, specifically by sponsoring terrorist groups as mercenaries against them, was conceived and initiated during the Bush years, and began to take shape in earnest in 2007. In the past few months, as the situation in Iraq has deteriorated, the Bush Administration, in both its public diplomacy and its covert operations, has significantly shifted its Middle East strategy. The “redirection,” as some inside the White House have called the new strategy, has brought the United States closer to an open confrontation with Iran and, in parts of the region, propelled it into a widening sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. To undermine Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, the Bush Administration has decided, in effect, to reconfigure its priorities in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Administration has coöperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran.The U.S. has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda. … The new American policy, in its broad outlines, has been discussed publicly. In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in January, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that there is “a new strategic alignment in the Middle East,” separating “reformers” and “extremists”; she pointed to the Sunni states as centers of moderation, and said that Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah were “on the other side of that divide.” (Syria’s Sunni majority is dominated by the Alawi sect.) Iran and Syria, she said, “have made their choice and their choice is to destabilize.” Some of the core tactics of the redirection are not public, however. The clandestine operations have been kept secret, in some cases, by leaving the execution or the funding to the Saudis, or by finding other ways to work around the normal congressional appropriations process, current and former officials close to the Administration said. … The policy shift has brought Saudi Arabia and Israel into a new strategic embrace, largely because both countries see Iran as an existential threat. They have been involved in direct talks, and the Saudis, who believe that greater stability in Israel and Palestine will give Iran less leverage in the region, have become more involved in Arab-Israeli negotiations. The new strategy “is a major shift in American policy—it’s a sea change,” a U.S. government consultant with close ties to Israel said. The Sunni states “were petrified of a Shiite resurgence, and there was growing resentment with our gambling on the moderate Shiites in Iraq,” he said. “We cannot reverse the Shiite gain in Iraq, but we can contain it.” … This time, the U.S. government consultant told me, Bandar and other Saudis have assured the White House that “they will keep a very close eye on the religious fundamentalists. Their message to us was ‘We’ve created this movement, and we can control it.’ It’s not that we don’t want the Salafis to throw bombs; it’s who they throw them at—Hezbollah, Moqtada al-Sadr, Iran, and at the Syrians, if they continue to work with Hezbollah and Iran.” In the past year, the Saudis, the Israelis, and the Bush Administration have developed a series of informal understandings about their new strategic direction. At least four main elements were involved, the U.S. government consultant told me. First, Israel would be assured that its security was paramount and that Washington and Saudi Arabia and other Sunni states shared its concern about Iran. Second, the Saudis would urge Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian party that has received support from Iran, to curtail its anti-Israeli aggression and to begin serious talks about sharing leadership with Fatah, the more secular Palestinian group. (In February, the Saudis brokered a deal at Mecca between the two factions. However, Israel and the U.S. have expressed dissatisfaction with the terms.) The third component was that the Bush Administration would work directly with Sunni nations to counteract Shiite ascendance in the region. Fourth, the Saudi government, with Washington’s approval, would provide funds and logistical aid to weaken the government of President Bashir Assad, of Syria. The Israelis believe that putting such pressure on the Assad government will make it more conciliatory and open to negotiations. Syria is a major conduit of arms to Hezbollah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dolva Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Monday, July 20, 2015 The massacre of at least 31 young socialists in Suruç today Moments before today's massacre We have posted here previously about the efforts of Turkey’s Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) to take a strong role in rebuilding Kobanê. The work was moving forward under competent leadership and with a broad vision under the slogan “We defended Kobanê together, we will build it together!” The plan was to move a large number of SGDF members from İstanbul, İzmir, Ankara and Amed to Kobanê for work projects that included healthcare work, rebuilding a people's museum and needed reconstruction work. The group reached the Suruç district of Urfa bordering Kobanê this morning.And then it happened.Two members of the group were taken into custody with a search warrant.The young people went to the Amara Culture Center for a breakfast meeting and talks with the families of BÖG (United Forces of Freedom) Commander Bedrettin Akdeniz (Suphi Şoreş) and YPJ member Leyla Doğan (Leyla Nisêbîn), both of whom both fell as martyrs in the battle against ISIS in Serêkaniyê and Kobanê. They were accompanied by members and leaders of the HDP (People's Democratic Party), ESP (Socialist Party of the Oppressed) and BEKSAV (Science Education Artistic Culture and Arts Research Foundation) as well as sports fans and members of an anarchist group. A press conference had been planned.A suicide bombing, most likely carried out by a young woman working for ISIS, was carried out in the garden of the Amara Culture Center. The number of casualties has been growing through the day. At last word we knew of 31 people killed in the blast and the word was that many others are expected to die from their injuries. There was a simultaneous ISIS/Daesh attack attempt in Kobanê that was intended to hit either the Mihemed Dira School, in the southern part of Kobanê, or a checkpoint staffed by Rojava’s People’s Defense Forces (YPG) near the school. YPG fighters destroyed the vehicle carrying the explosives before detonation.At the Amara Culture Center people risked a second bomb attack to help the wounded and get people to hospitals and secure the scene. Most of the bodies of the dead remained in the garden.Kurdish film director Garip Çelik was filming when the explosion took place and he told ANF news service that the explosion took place as the group was issuing their press statement. He pointed to ISIS and said that the attack was organized and professional. There is a tragic series of before-and-after photographs which we will not run here showing the young people relaxing and then showing their mutilated and bloody bodies on the ground.Garip Çelik had gone to Suruç from İstanbul with members of the SGDF. He told ANF that he was going to Kobanê to make a documentary and said that the day began with a breakfast in the garden of Amara Cultural Center. ID photocopies were collected and a press statement was issued in front of the Amara Cultural Center. The young people were preparing to apply to the governor’s office for passage and in order to take care of other legal matters. Garip Çelik said that he was filming at the time of the explosion and that as soon as the press statement ended a violent explosion tore bodies apart and turned the garden into a bloodbath. He said that arms and legs flew over him right after the explosion.Garip Çelik emphasized in his account that that the explosion happened right at the center of the crowd and he reported that people at the crime scene were speaking of a 16-year-old stranger among the crowd. He noted that the police came to the crime scene after the explosion only to attack civilians there and said that ambulances arrived too late and that many injured people were taken to hospitals in civilians’ cars. Garip Çelik told ANF that he was in the first bus that entered Suruç and that the police searched all buses carefully but skipped theirs. He said that he lost many friends in the explosion and pointed at the role of ISIS as he said that the attack was organized and professional.Party of Democratic Regions (DBP) Urfa co-chair İsmail Kaplan said after the attack that a suicide bomb caused the blast in Suruç district of Urfa and that the bombing targeted around 300 members of the SGDF before they were scheduled to cross into Kobanê. He said that at that point over 50 people have lost their lives and that dozens had been wounded.People's Democratic Party (HDP) Urfa deputy Dilek Öcalan spoke to ANF about the blast and said, “We have learned that the blast was caused by a bomb placed in a bag which was detonated during the assembly of the youths.” Dilek Öcalan said at that point that around 30 people had died. “We cannot provide an exact figure of casualties as many bodies have been scattered around in pieces,” she said, and issued a call for urgently needed blood donation for the wounded people. Donations of blood proved to be problematic. The governor of Urfa confirmed that a suicide attack had been carried out and gave the number of people killed as 28.Protests against the attack were immediately organized. The DBP (Party of Democratic Regions) Amed provincial organization called a demonstration today that will be carried on with the HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party), DTK (Democratic Society Congress) and KJA (Free Women's Congress and others. The ESP (Socialist Party of the Oppressed) called a demonstration in Ankara for this evening and made the offices of the ruling reactionary Justice and Development Party (AKP) the point of their protest. A rally was also organized in the German city of Dortmund and will be led by the Rozerin Women's Assembly.People gathered spontaneously at Galatasaray High School in Istanbul and agreed to a sit-in action and march set for this evening. İsmail Eroğlu was quoted in alternate media as saying, “The goal of this attack was to remove the bridge of fraternity between two peoples,” and he held the AKP responsible for the bombing in Suruç.HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş provided commentary on the terrorist attack to Med Nûçê and said that the attack could not have been organized without the support of the Turkish state, that the transitional government is directly responsible for the attack, and that the AKP has to prove and clarify whether it is with or against ISIS. He condemned the massacre and offered condolences to the families of those who were killed and called on the people civilians to take security precautions everywhere.Selahattin Demirtaş described the bombing as a carefully planned attack and noted that the attack targeted revolutionary youth who were engaged in International solidarity on the three-year anniversary of Rojava’s Revolution and aimed to send the message that the revolution will be ended at all costs. He described Suruç as the symbol of solidarity and resistance in Turkey and said that the attack aimed to break the will of the people. He also said that more than 30 people had lost their lives in the blast and that HDP parliamentarians and leaders were with the injured people receiving treatment in hospitals.Selahattin Demirtaş said that one body was completely torn apart and that the attack was probably a suicide bombing. He said that the attack took place despite intensive intelligence activities being carried out in the region and he announced that a coordination unit has been formed by HDP, DBP, HDK and DTK in order to help the wounded people. The HDP Central Executive Committee will meet in Ankara tomorrow. The HDP CO-chairs will be in Suruç in the near future.Selahattin Demirtaş said that ISIS may have carried out the attack, but that the transitional government is directly responsible for the attack and he said that the state turned a blind eye to ISIS mobilizations within Turkey and showed its sympathy for ISIS when it described Rojava’s People’s Defense Forces (YPG) as a more dangerous organization than ISIS. Selahattin Demirtaş criticized Turkey’s government for its silence towards ISIS and its threats against the HDP and said that attacks like the one today will not force the HDP to give up on their principles of peace, democracy, and justice. He appealed for solidarity and asked people to take precautions against possible acts of ISIS barbarism.The HDP Co-chair stated that intensive intelligence activities were being carried out in Suruç and that the state recorded the identity of everyone who traveled to and from there. He talked about how his convoy was not permitted to enter Suruç recently, he emphasized the extent of state surveillance in the town and he said that no one can argue that one person managed to infiltrate into the crowd and carry out the suicide attack without state support.HDP Mardin deputy Mithat Sancar told mainstream media that the attack was not a surprise and was not unanticipated. Mithat Sancar told journalists that “This attack has been anticipated since the bombings in Diyarbakır before the elections. We warned government officials. We warned of provocations at every opportunity. The usual suspect seems to be ISIS...Information that organizations such as ISIS have been forming cells in the region was shared with government officials. It is the government's responsibility to take precautions. It should have taken precautions regarding security and intelligence, but unfortunately this did not happen...Because of the bombing, according to the first reports, there are 28 dead and those injured number in the hundreds. There are people who are seriously injured.”The KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council Co-Presidency also issued a statement on the massacre in Suruç and argued in their statement that Turkey’s AKP government created ISIS in Syria and Turkey and that they will account for the massacre. The KCK called on all democracy and freedom forces to stand against dirty AKP policies.The KCK commemorated the martyrs who fell in the Suruç massacre and promised to honor their memories and said that it is no longer possible to distinguish ISIS members from Turkish intelligence agents and that the AKP’s enmity towards Kurds brought ISIS to Turkey.The KCK stated that the AKP government supports ISIS in order to use it as an instrument of its policies in the Middle East and aims to liquidate Rojava’s revolution. As a result of this policy, ISIS and gangs from all over the world have used the border between Turkey and Syria for logistical and mobilization purposes. The KCK said that the biggest supporter of ISIS fascism in the Middle East is the AKP government and charged that the attack in Suruç was carried out with the knowledge of Turkish Intelligence Agency (MIT) in order to target Rojava’s Revolution and intimidate people who show solidarity with the revolution.The KCK statement said that the attack in Suruç explained why the AKP has been calling on the guerrillas to abandon their arms, and said that it showed that the AKP was aiming to release its “hounds” upon Turkey and Kurdistan in order to establish its authoritarian and fascist perspective in the region. The KCK statement noted that the Turkish state was aiming to massacre Kurds through an alliance it made with the enemies of the Kurdish people. The KCK emphasized that the AKP wages a proxy-war through the fascist gangs and stated that the attacks before and after the June 7 elections were a clear indication of the war the AKP is waging against the Kurdish people, the Freedom Movement and Kurds’ allies. The statement emphasized the role of the Turkish state and MIT in the planning of this attack and said that the AKP has to account for these attacks.The KCK said, "With the liberation of Tal Abyad by the YPG/YPJ (Rojava's People's/Women's Defense Forces) from ISIS, the AKP reacted as if it had been seized from itself, threatened the Rojava Revolution and then went on to announce that it would intervene if the YPG happened to liberate Jarablus city from ISIS occupation.” The KCK said that these facts prove the cooperation and deep relations between ISIS and the AKP that work to defend this savage organization the most.The Kurdistan Communities Union also said that the AKP's understanding of the PYD as more dangerous than ISIS reveals the level of its animosity towards the Kurds and added that the massacre in Suruç was perpetrated by the anti-Kurd AKP and its partners. The KCK said, "It is obvious that the responsibility for this massacre rests with the Turkish state that commits massacres without restraint on the basis of animosity towards Kurds. Massacres have been gradually normalized in Turkey under the rule of a mindset and party aiming to suppress the Kurdish people and the Kurdish Freedom Movement. This is a truth proven by the attitude and reaction manifested by the AKP government in the face of the attacks before and after the June 7 election.”The KCK said that it is not a coincidence that most of the victims were young people who sympathized with the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and that they have supported Rojava's Revolution since the very beginning, adding, "This attack has revealed that the AKP is targeting not only the Kurdish people and the Kurdish Freedom Movement, but also all the socialist circles and friends supporting the Rojava Revolution. The AKP government wants to see no power resisting it, which is why it has also targeted the support of the socialist youths for the reconstruction of Kobanê.”The KCK stated that the AKP's war against the Kurdish people has revealed the fact that it waged, and wants to wage, this war together with the fascist gangs with whom it shares a common mentality."It is understood that the AKP and its leader, which has not a democratic but an authoritarian mindset seeking to achieve domination over Turkey, will from now on be waging a war against the democratic powers in Turkey as well in a cooperation with the fascist gangs," the KCK said. The statement emphasized that Turkish President Erdoğan and his AKP wanted to turn Turkey towards a dirty war against Kurds and democratic forces and said that all who defend democracy and freedom must immediately stand up against this dirty policy of the AKP which will continue pursuing such policies until the Kurdish question is resolved and animosity subsides.Only an uprising of the Kurdish people and democratic forces that can prevent this dirty policy, the KCK said, and called on the Kurdish people and democratic forces to enhance the struggle against the AKP government, the primary force responsible for the Suruç massacre, and to intervene against its policies with an urgently needed democracy program.For our part, we think that Pervin Buldan, the HDP parliamentary representative from Istanbul, and Leyla Güven, an HDP representative from Urfa, said it best and in only a few very meaningful words when Pervin said today that "The youth had visited us. They said they had plans for the anniversary of the Kobanê victory and that they had met with the (provincial) governor and ministry about it...Yesterday they called me again and said that they wanted to cross to the city today, and that they needed to meet with the governor about it," and Leyla said, "As a state, if the Turkish Republic has not provided security, its responsibility for this is extremely serious. There has been an immense massacre. There is uncertain information about the death toll. It's being said that there are none left alive from the group." From these comments we see the enthusiasm of the young people as they celebrated the third anniversary of Rojava's Revolution and all that they sacrificed for their dreams.Prior to this terrible terrorist attack in Suruç the police attacked people celebrating the third anniversary of Rojava's Revolution in the Xaçort neighborhood of the İpekyolu district of Van. Police attacked and then fired tear gas canisters, deliberately targeting houses in the neighborhood. Sixteen people, including children and a pregnant women, were hospitalized after the police attack and many houses had their windows broken. HDP deputies Remzi Özgökçe, Yurdusev Özsekmenler and Tuba Hezer, HDP Van provincial co-chairs Hamiyet Şahin and Münir Aras, and other HDP leaders went to the neighborhood after hearing about the incidents and reacted strongly against the attitude and of the police forces.Also prior to the Suruç massacre the Turkish military fired rounds at Mt. Judi and started forest fires which burned for three days. Legend has it that Mt. Judi is where Noah's ark landed. The fire destroyed several villages over the weekend as Turkish forces failed to intervene. Local people tried to stop the fires but could not do so. The Assyrian village of Aksu was burned to the ground. The Assyrians are survivors of a genocide in Turkey and many Assyrian people had to abandon their villages due to years of war on Mt. Judi and in the surrounding area. Some people had recently returned and were attempting to rebuild their homes and their lives, but now this in doubt."If you can't do agriculture and pastoralism when you return to your village, if you can't benefit from the mountain and nature, you have no chance of living there," a villager told JINHA. "So they destroyed the trees, animals, all living things. People can't live on ashes...This year returns to the villages accelerated...The soldiers have a clear order about the evacuated villages; they stop people returning to them. From the day we got here until today, they have tried to stop us." Environmental activists have started a campaign to plant 50,000 trees on Mt. Judi, an ecologically fragile area.In line with all of this, then, we understand the point recently made by the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) that the ruling reactionary Justice and Development Party (AKP) ended the two-and-one-half-year-old ceasefire between the Kurdish liberation forces and state with its isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan ("Leader Apo") and the implementation of psychological warfare. The KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency said that the AKP had never respected the ceasefire in the first place.The KCK said that the AKP ended the ceasefire when Turkey's President Erdoğan rejected the Dolmabahçe agreement and decided to implement the isolation of Leader Apo three-and-one-half months ago. The KCK said that it is not the time to call upon guerrillas to abandon their arms, but to negotiate and take serious steps for the solution of the Kurdish issue. The KCK argued in a written statement that the Kurdish Freedom Movement gave the Turkish state many chances for a solution to the Kurdish question and that the majority of the ceasefires took place during AKP’s time in power. The KCK also noted that the AKP used these chances for winning elections and referendums and deepened the conflict. This approach put Turkey in a politically difficult spot and Leader Apo responded to the state’s call for a ceasefire positively, believing that the AKP government was no longer seeking results through war and conflict.The KCK recalled that the AKP had made a commitment to making certain constitutional and legal changes for the solution of the Kurdish issue if the guerrillas called a ceasefire and began to withdraw from Turkey. The KCK stated that they began to withdraw guerrilla forces on May 8 and bring them to the Medya Defense Zones, but the AKP never implemented the changes it had promised and showed that it had no intention of solving the issue with Bülent Arınç’s statement that the PKK could "go to hell."The KCK stated that the Dolmabahçe agreement was published on February 28 as a result of meetings between Leader Apo and government officials. The KCK emphasized that this was the first agreement that was publicized, and which offered a framework for the negotiations. President Erdoğan later revealed his mentality by saying that there were no such things as the Dolmabahçe agreement, negotiations or the Kurdish issue at a time when the Dolmabahçe agreement had built Turkish and Kurdish people’s hopes for the solution of the Kurdish issue and the establishment of a permanent peace. The KCK noted that the people rejected the policies of Erdoğan and his AKP in the June 7 elections and supported the option of democratization and the solution of the Kurdish issue that Leader Apo and our movement had offered to the peoples of Turkey. The KCK stated that the AKP government continued its old policies and ignored the Kurdish issue as if the election had never taken place.The KCK emphasized that the AKP government and Erdoğan called upon the guerrillas to disarm and withdraw from Turkey in order to manipulate the current agenda, ignore the results of the June 7 elections and continue their policy of not solving the Kurdish issue. The KCK also highlighted that it is no longer the time to call for disarmament, but it is the time to take serious steps and negotiate for the solution of the Kurdish issue. The KCK said that there is no alternative method to end the conflict and that similar issues from other parts of the world were not solved with methods such as the ones that the AKP currently attempts to implement.The KCK criticized the isolation of Leader Apo, who had established the ceasefire and offered his manifesto for a democratic solution in 2013, and said that the AKP ended the two-and-one-half year old ceasefire with its isolation of Leader Apo and the implementation of psychological warfare. The KCK ended their statement by calling on Kurdish people and democratic forces of Turkey to resist AKP manipulation and to organize and struggle for democratization and the solution of the Kurdish issue in Turkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) Propaganda Wave Portends Invasion of Syria By Tony Cartalucci It was reported just days ago that US policymakers have signed and dated plans drawn up for the US invasion and occupation of Syria. The plan as described by the Fortune 500-funded Brookings Institution – a corporate think-tank that has previously drawn up plans for the invasion, occupation, and “surge” in Iraq – is to occupy border regions of Syria with US special forces to then justify a nationwide “no-fly-zone” if and when Syrian forces attempt to retake these “safe zones.” The “safe zones” are to be used by various terrorists fronts Brookings admits are tied to Al Qaeda, to take refuge from Syrian air power and from which to stage and launch attacks deeper into Syrian territory. The end game is the Balkanization of Syria into ineffectual vassal states the US can later stitch together into a larger client regime. It was also reported that this signed and dated conspiracy to invade, occupy, and destroy Syria would be followed by widespread propaganda aimed at selling the policy paper under the guise of “defeating” the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS/ISIL). In reality, hundreds of trucks a day, originating deep within NATO-member Turkey’s territory, cross the Turkish-Syrian border unopposed, destined for ISIS territory, keeping the terrorist front well supplied and armed, along with its ranks full of fresh fighters. It is clear that US, British, and other regional allies conducting airstrikes on ISIS in Syria are doing so with full knowledge that whatever damage they are doing is quickly absorbed by the logistical torrent they themselves allow, even underwrite, to freely flow into ISIS territory. No attempts have been made by the US or any of the NATO nations involved in the Syrian conflict, to first stem ISIS’ supply lines – an elementary and obvious strategic goal necessary if the West was truly interested in stopping ISIS. The Propaganda Begins The Brookings policy paper is now demonstrably manifesting itself as talking points across the Western media. The Guardian in an op-ed titled, “Why British air strikes in Syria would be pointless,” argues: [Defence secretary Michael Fallon’s] aim merely to spread the RAF’s targets across a greater area? If, on the other hand, he has a secret plan to transform coalition strategy into something more ambitious, perhaps he should share it with us. Syria does not want for bombs. What it lacks are suitable ground forces who could drive out and destroy Isis under the coalition’s military umbrella. A more aggressive approach is possible. It would require American leadership, sweeping changes in the programme to train and equip Syrian rebels, and more direct air support in their battles. It would, eventually but inevitably, bring rebels into greater contact with the Assad regime. Such an approach seems unlikely to survive the parliamentary test at home. Fallon does have a “secret plan,” US and British special forces are already operating in Syria alongside terrorist militants. The “secret plan” is actually now published on the Brookings Institution’s website, and involves openly occupying Syrian territory with Western special forces supporting these “Syrian rebels” who are admittedly tied directly to Al Qaeda. Conveniently, the mentioned anticipated parliamentary impasse will get a boost in public support in favor of greater intervention in the wake of ISIS attacks in Tunisia where mostly British tourists were targeted, maimed, and killed. Attacks in France, and another wave of overtly sensationalist execution videos seems almost intentionally providing the West with the perfect pretext with which to sell an otherwise unjustifiable act of military aggression by Western forces against Syria. The Guardian op-ed is only the carefully worded first of many to come in a propaganda campaign aimed at justifying the invasion and occupation of Syrian territory in a piecemeal military campaign meant to “sleepwalk” the Western public into yet another lengthy and costly war. Anyone who is even semi-conscious will, the West hopes, be convinced that ISIS is a perfectly justifiable pretext with which to carryout this premeditated military adventure. US Plans to Use Al Qaeda in 2007, Now Fully Realized It must be repeated that even as early as 2007, under the administration of then US President George Bush, it was reported that the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and other regional allies planned to fund, arm, and support a wide terrorist front – affiliated with Al Qaeda – to wage proxy war against Iran, Syria, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh in his article, “The Redirection: Is the Administration’s new policy benefiting our enemies in the war on terrorism?” which explicitly stated (emphasis added): To undermine Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, the Bush Administration has decided, in effect, to reconfigure its priorities in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Administration has coöperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran. The U.S. has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda. It is clear that this premeditated and documented conspiracy has been fully implemented, manifesting itself as the “Islamic State” which is clearly being used both as a proxy military force with which to wage war against Western enemies, as well as a pretext for justifying Western military aggression around the world. It is also being used conveniently to maintain an iron grip at home via an increasingly Orwellian police state predicated on “fighting the threat of terrorism.” As others have hinted at, the West is also intentionally promoting a strategy of tension to predictably divide the world’s population into two camps – those that back Western neo-liberalism, and those that back the medieval methods of ISIS and periphery ideologies. Those in the middle are intentionally marginalized by the vast Western media, and even in the alternative media, cognitive infiltration has helped mute the voices of reason and accelerate this global conflict. At the end of the day, empires using proxies and even manufactured enemies is par for the course. Unfortunately, unlike empires in the days of old, the weapons and technology available to modern-day imperialists have such devastating and wide-ranging impact, few will escape the fallout. Exposing both the West’s military aggression and the fact that those it claims it is attempting to “protect” the world from are monsters of their own intentional creation, and expounding the merits of a multi-polar world where extraterritorial military adventures thousands of miles from one’s shores is an intolerable crime against humanity, is a good first step in disarming this latest round warmongering creeping toward Syria’s battered borders. ================================================================== Tony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine“New Eastern Outlook”.First appeared:http://journal-neo.org/2015/07/20/propaganda-wave-portends-invasion-of-syria/ Edited July 22, 2015 by Steven Gaal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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