Syria: High stakes in US-Turkey gamble

[unhappycamper]

http://www.dw.com/en/syria-high-stakes-in-us-turkey-gamble/a-18628287

The US needs Turkey's air bases in the battle against the "Islamic State." In return, Ankara wants the US to agree to its Kurdish policy. That leaves Washington with difficult geopolitical decisions.

Syria: High stakes in US-Turkey gamble
Kersten Knipp
05.08.2015

Over the weekend, a US army drone flew out of Turkish territory. Its goal: to acquire details on the position of jihadist fighters in Syria near the Turkish border. The US needs the information before launching airstrikes on "Islamic State" (IS) targets.

It was high time to take action, as a US-trained fighter had just been killed in the battle against Sunni extremists - not by IS terrorists but instead the al-Nusra front, a branch of al-Qaida operating in Syria. The incident illustrates the precarious situation of US-trained fighters in Syria. The death of even one trained fighter is strategically significant because the US has deployed very few reliable fighters in Syria.

Originally, the US planned to train around 4,500 Syrian fighters in a program that began in May. Until now, only 60 people have taken part. Among the many applicants, only few were considered to be reliable.

~snip~

Good bargaining position

The Turks are well aware of the situation and as a result, are in a good bargaining position. By allowing the Americans to use some of their air bases in the south of the country, they hope to gain acceptance for their battle against the Kurds – but not on Turkish territory; instead, in neighboring countries like Iraq and Syria.

[leveymg]

1. US policy in the ME appears to be a disorganized Polish firing squad.

Firing wildly in all directions, hitting nothing.