MESOP NEWS DEBATE : THE KURDISH FUTURE IN SYRIA / A CONTROVERSIAL DEBATE BETWEEN CHARLES LISTER & JOSHUA LANDIS

Para 1: – Has #Turkey talked about going to “eastern Syria” proper, i.e. Deir ez Zour? No. – Nobody talks of partition – 3 is v simplistic

Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

#pt: It’s good to debate these issues but @joshua_landis’s article was riddled w. contradiction & founded on basic inaccuracy. My critique:

Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 10: – Restraining #Iraq’s Kurds from aggression is *extremely* different to restraining a group (#YPG) inherently hostile to #Turkey.

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 9: – Handing Euphrates area to “Kurds & #Assad” = fastest way to bring stability.” – You surely cannot honestly believe that, really?

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 8: – Turkish plan => escalation, yes, but is #Raqqa & the Euphrates a “#Iran#Russia#Assad#Iraq” sphere of influence right now? No.

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 7: – Actually, the main reason is that #Turkey has no workable plan that can be implemented *now.* The #Trump admin wants acceleration

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 6: – Handing #Raqqa to #SDF, knowing they’re likely to eventually hand it to #Assad & #Russia will *definitely* invite AQ recruitment!

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 6: – I’m pretty confident that most Raqqans would rather Sunni Arabs than the Marxist-Leninist #YPG & some pro-#Assad Sunni militias.

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 6: – #Aleppo-based groups (who dominate ES) have many former #Raqqa-based fighters – #Turkey has been training Raqqan tribes & groups

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 5: – #Turkey sees AQ/#HTS as a hostile adversary & vice-versa. – 2013 was 4yrs ago, how about using current dynamics to assess today?

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 5: – Ahrar is no way near ES’s “dominant” force – Ahrar lost 8-10% of its men to #HTS, not 50% – #Turkey wld not allow AQ to its areas

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 4: – Sorry, #YPG has no territorial interests around #Raqqa? Really? – I suspect YPG is looking at more than just good U.S relations

  • · Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 3: – “No Kurdish allies to attack #Raqqa” ? In the immediate term, it’d divert yes, but never at all? – #YPG ≠ all of #Syria‘s Kurds

Charles Lister‏Verified account @Charles_Lister 22h22 hours ago

Para 2: – Hang on a minute, if #Assad has already achieved this ‘cutting into two,’ then why does #Turkey need to achieve it a second time?

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