From NightWatch:
Syria-Syria Kurds-US: On 19 August, the Syrian air force conducted the first air attacks and Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militiamen in Hasakah Governate. Ground fighting intensified late on the 19th when Kurdish YPG fighters battled Syrian forces.
“The clashes continue in areas inside the city today (20 August). There were military operations,” a Kurdish official said.
On the 19th, also for the first time, US combat aircraft flew what the Pentagon called protective patrols around Hasakah to prevent Syrian jets from attacking US special forces personnel, who are operating on the ground with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Comment: The Syrian Kurdish militias are the major component of the SDF. The US protective patrols are the first sorties of their kind in the war.
This bears watching. Given that the Syrian Air Force are essentially Russian proxies at this point, there is the potential for some serious awkwardness here.
8 Comments
No worries. With our C in C and SecDef Ash Carter and SecState Kerry, we have smart diplomacy on our side. The Russians will be dazzled!
“The Russians will be dazzled!”
No doubt.
http://malcolmpollack.com/2016/06/27/more-on-brexit/#comment-774103
http://www.newsweek.com/putin-calls-erdogan-voice-support-order-coup-turkey-481307
http://www.timesofisrael.com/turkey-pm-russia-can-share-incirlik-airbase-with-us-if-necessary/
(Probably been best I’d checked email before posting the above. Away for a few days due to *some* of Arkansas’ local and state guys helping the neighbors to the south and me getting asked to man a station “one day tops JK.”)
JK, whilst you man that station, keep a watch for gators floating north from West Monroe.
I’m home (more or less) WW, a JP nowadays. It’s “the real guys” away.
Asides, I’m no longer nimble. In the vicinity of alligators at any rate.
Is Russia still to be dazzled Stop?
Affirmative Stop. Next question Stop.
SecState Kerry options Stop?
Affirmative Stop. Joe Biden Stop.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-turkey-idUSKCN10Y1HY
End transmission Stop.
[Transmission ends]
JK,
Shouldn’t the punctuation mark precede the “Stop”? Stop
Depends Henry. Whether its a transcript of people licensed as radiotelephone operators or not. See – transcripts of conversations between airline pilots for example.
Tank drivers however, as far as I know, don’t similarly require such licensing.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-turkey-idUSKCN10Z07J
Okay everbody relax. Show’s over, Biden’s in Syria and now Kerry’s in Jeddah.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-kerry-saudi-idUSKCN10Z2XS
Run along home, what could possibly go wrong now.