Diplomatic sources in DC spoke to Richard Engel of NBC news on the ethnic cleansing of Kurds in Syria and the ramifications for our country. It would be nice to see Richard on the MSNBC shows flush the story out, particularly on TRMS.
Wow, just wow.
xUS officials tell me ALARM BELL RINGING among diplomats in DC that U.S. could one day be held responsible for Crimes Against Humanity for ethnic cleansing of Syrian Kurds by opening the door to it, watching it, encouraging it (Trump's tweets and statements) and not stopping it.
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) October 19, 2019
The world is livid at Trump’s genocidal shenanigans in the Middle East after it abandoned our brothers and sisters in Syria to fend for themselves against NATO’s second-largest standing army as well as ISIS fighters.
European capitals must be fuming that the occupant has encouraged escaped ISIS fighters to head to Europe.
xBREAKING: PELOSI, Schiff, Engel and other Dems are in Jordan for an unannounced meeting on matters related to Turkey/Syria. The list of attendees: pic.twitter.com/0e3ixcF6xo
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) October 20, 2019
This article from The New Humanitarian, published in July 2019, raises concerns for the safety of Syrian refugees already in Turkey. It appears they will not be treated with kid gloves any more than the Kurds on whose homes they will occupy after the mass deportations of millions begins.
Quosai Amahme and Tom Rollins write:
Turkey is deporting Syrians from Istanbul to Syria, including to the volatile northwest province of Idlib, according to people who have been the target of a campaign launched last week against migrants who lack residency papers.
The crackdown comes at a time of rising rhetoric and political pressure on the country’s 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees to return home. Estimates place hundreds of thousands of unregistered Syrians in Turkey, many living in urban areas such as Istanbul.
Refugee rights advocates say deportations to Syria violate customary international law, which prohibits forcing people to return to a country where they are still likely to face persecution or risk to their lives.
Arrests reportedly began as early as 13 July, with police officers conducting spot-checks in public spaces, factories, and metro stations around Istanbul and raiding apartments by 16 July. As word spread quickly in Istanbul’s Syrian community, many people shut themselves up at home rather than risk being caught outside.
Video evidence of chemical weapons used on Kurdish civilians can be seen here. Am I the only one that believes Trump and Erdogan had a quid pro quo?
xAmnesty International has evidence that the Turkish military & Turkey-backed Syrian armed groups have carried out war crimes & other atrocities, including summary killings & unlawful attacks on civilians, during its violent offensive in northeast Syria.https://t.co/bhfZNyEDQU
— Caroline Orr (@RVAwonk) October 20, 2019
xA failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in July 2016 led to an emergency decree that human rights groups say was used to arrest individuals whom the government perceived as opponents. Parts of that decree were later passed into law, making it easier for authorities to deport foreigners on the grounds that they are either linked to terrorist groups or pose a threat to public order.
The newest wave of deportations after months of growing anti-Syrian sentiment in political debate and on the streets has raised more questions about how this law might be used, as well as the future of Syrian refugees in Turkey.
In two rounds of mayoral elections that ended last month with a defeat for Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the winning candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), repeatedly used anti-Syrian rhetoric in his campaign, capitalising on discontent towards the faltering economy and the increasingly contentious presence of millions of Syrian refugees.
Shortly after the elections, several incidents of mob violence against Syrian-owned businesses took place. Widespread anti-Syrian sentiment has also been evident across social media; after the mayoral election trending hashtags on Twitter reportedly included “Syrians get out”.
Iconic photo by @Delilsouleman. As the last U.S. troops pull out of Syria, an American soldier wears a YPJ emblem on his uniform as a sign of solidarity with the Kurdish ally they are leaving behind. (The YPJ is the women's unit of YPG, they fiercely fought ISIS).@akhbarpic.twitter.com/Z39964A2pO
— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) October 20, 2019