U.S.'s Kerry hints Kobani not strategic goal, buffer zone merits study

[CJCRANE]

Source: Daily Mail UK

WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested on Wednesday that preventing the fall of the Syrian town of Kobani to Islamic State fighters was not a strategic U.S. objective and said the idea of a buffer zone should be thoroughly studied.

"As horrific as it is to watch in real time what is happening in Kobani ... you have to step back and understand the strategic objective," Kerry told reporters at a news conference with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

"Notwithstanding the crisis in Kobani, the original targets of our efforts have been the command and control centers, the infrastructure," he said. "We are trying to deprive the (Islamic State) of the overall ability to wage this, not just in Kobani but throughout Syria and into Iraq."

Kerry also said that he expected Turkey, which has demanded a no-fly zone, a buffer zone in Syria and greater effort against the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to decide "over the next hours, days" what role it may play against the Islamic State group, which the U.S. government refers to as ISIL.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-2785364/U-S-s-Kerry-hints-Kobani-not-strategic-goal-buffer-zone-merits-study.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. The media is obsessed with Kobane, and Repubs/neocons have picked it up

as a way to bash Obama, but it's an outpost that will be under siege for a long time, because it's been surrounded for a long time by ISIS and that won't change anytime soon--and does nothing for us strategically in terms of defeating ISIS in Iraq. We're just doing airstrikes there because we feel bad for the Kurds and Turkey won't help them.

[karynnj]

3. Add in that response indirectly argues against the push for ground forces there from the US

I'm not sure that the air strikes are because we feel sorry for the Kurds. Here is that the Kurds ARE fighting on the ground and Turkey is doing nothing itself - other than holding back its Kurds from fighting.

In addition, Turkey said it fell - when it didn't and called for US ground troops and before that argued that before they would help we needed to make the fight against Assad as high a priority as ISIL. It is really hard to say anything good about Turkey's actions here.

[TwilightGardener]

6. Turkey is trying to get some sort of leverage, and thus withholding help for Kobane and

declaring our airstrikes ineffective so that we agree to fight in a way that benefits Turkey's purposes. Yep, they are a very treacherous "friend".

[freshwest]

11. Agreed, they are trying to force NATO to intervene and do their dirty work for them.

[blm]

2. It's long past time Turkey commit itself to fighting FOR THEIR national interest.

Long. Past. Time.

Obama and Kerry are willing to take the personal hits (from neocons and their media whores) while forcing these nations to start protecting their own people from these violent extremists and their regional agenda.

I hope more than just a few of us understand and appreciate their fortitude, especially since they have too few media figures able to wrap their brains around this strategy.

[karynnj]

4. Here, it complicated because Turkey's "national interests" include

weakening any unity aspirations in its Kurds (with Syria's and Iraq's). Turkey is likely not all that unhappy seeing the Kurds struggle to survive. I assume they are not happy with the obvious fact that in Iraq, it is really only the Kurds who were willing to fight.

[flamingdem]

5. They sure are taking hits. Disgusting what Repukes and Panetta types will do

to gain political capital while a war is going on.

We have to realize that the public is not privy to every step of the way in a war. Duh.

[former9thward]

10. And I thought Obama said this was not a new war....

I guess I missed the new meme..

[geek tragedy]

8. Turkey is an ally of ISIL. Kind of like the US was allies with the mujahadeen in Afghanistan.

They think they've got it all figured out--aid ISIL in its genocide against Kurds, and that solves their problems. Plus, Edrogan has a soft spot in his heart for his fellow Sunni Islamist authoritarians.

[geek tragedy]

7. Turkey's inviting some serious blowback by acting as an ally of ISIL.

Forget about the EU (that will never, ever happen) why are they still in NATO?

[Baclava]

9. They don't want to be our pawn footsoldiers in their volatile border region - can you blame them?

But then again, there's probably not enough oil wells being threatened, so it's not in our strategic interest

[geek tragedy]

13. Yes, I can blame them for siding with ISIL because they share religious fundamentalism

and hatred of other religious and ethnic groups such as the Kurds. Question is why you can't.

[Baclava]

15. right, 'when the U.S. snaps it's fingers all those lesser countries better do what we tell them!'

Get your soldiers' boots on the ground and die for our cause because we tell you!

We aren't in Syria on a humanitarian mission - we don't care how many civilians die



Kerry admits Kobane not a strategic U.S. objective

Kerry stated, "As horrific as it is to watch in real time what's happening in Kobani, it's also important to remember you have to step back and understand the strategic objective and where we have begun over the course of the last weeks…"

[geek tragedy]

16. So your argument is that Erdrogan doesn't deserve to be criticized for supporting ISIL.

And that the only reason people would object to his support of ISIL is because they are American imperialists?

We live on different moral planets.

[Baclava]

17. WE created ISIS, shouldn't we be the ones fighting them on the ground in our new Holy War?

Or does sending in a merc army to die for our cause make you sleep better.

[geek tragedy]

18. Turkey is actively aiding ISIL by letting ISIL move weapons and fighters across the border

but not letting the Kurds do the same.


Erdrogan wants to bait the US into helping him overthrow Syria's government.

You have the roles backwards as to who is playing imperialist.

[Baclava]

19. Turkey hates the Kurds more than it hates ISIS I guess - tribal warfare is like that

and here we are stuck in the middle

[geek tragedy]

20. Turkey had better not come crying to us when it reaps what it has sown nt

[blm]

23. You want US to be the world's policeman in perpetuity because of Bush?

That seems to be your bottom line.

[blm]

22. They want US to be their Air Force AND ground troops, though, don't they?

Newsflash: This AIN'T the Bush administration's bull in a china shop - we're still working to CAREFULLY repair the damage and that requires all involved parties to act responsibly now and into the future.

[freshwest]

12. There's still in NATO since they joined in 1952 and have worked with NATO. But their recent actions

Last edited Thu Oct 9, 2014, 11:08 AM - Edit history (1)

are really... I don't have the words to say what I think. Just bad. Erdogan is bad news, and if he's playing footsie with ISIL, they are unreliable. The EU doesn't trust them, but NATO needs them for flyovers, I guess.

[geek tragedy]

14. he's not allowing flyovers, last time I checked nt

[freshwest]

21. Ah, but they did for Bush. I stand corrected if they've changed the policy. I thought they'd allowed

it for Libyan operations, as well.