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Monday, October 7

US forces reportedly evacuate two 'observation posts' in NE Syria ahead of Turkish op

The above is a breaking news headline from Sputnik, but it's just the headline at this moment. What follows is a related AMN report, but it's more sweeping in its claim about a U.S. withdrawal. Sputnik will surely have a followup report very shortly, and major Western press will soon be reporting on whatever withdrawal is underway. See also the links in my earlier post on the contradictory headlines about the U.S. response to Turkey's threatened incursion. 

All right, that does it for me. I'll return tomorrow night, Eastern time. Oh, one more point, from a report at Antiwar:
[...]The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Saturday that it would "not hesitate to turn any unprovoked attack by Turkey into an all-out war" to defend the region of northeast Syria that it controls.[...]Washington has always hoped to avoid a military confrontation between Turkey and the YPG. The shortsighted policy of arming and backing an enemy of Turkey so close to their border was bound to have dangerous consequences.
Hope?  On what evidence did Washington hope?

Breaking: US forces allegedly withdraw from Turkish border
AMN
October 7, 2019

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:30 A.M. local time) – The U.S. Coalition forces have allegedly withdrawn from the Turkish border with Syria, the Sputnik News Agency reported, citing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Kurdish-led forces also noted that U.S. forces began withdrawing from the border after not meeting “their commitments”. The SDF also stated they “won’t hesitate for a moment” in defending themselves against Turkey.

According to the Syrian Democratic Forces, this Turkish military operation will cause a resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS, Daesh) in the regions they control.

The U.S. Armed Forces have not responded to these latest allegations; however, if true, this would signal a green light for the Turkish military invasion of northern Syria.

Turkey considers the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and their allies from the People’s Protection Units (YPG) to be terrorist entities that are offshoots of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

[END REPORT]

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