The Daily Blog Open Mic – Monday 12th February 2018

1. No one seems to be paying much attention to the Turkish invasion of northern Syria and yet is hugely important that the Syrian and Arab fighters in Afrin canton are supported internationally. Essentially, Turkey is using the very same ISIS and other Islamic fundamentalist fighters/mercenaries to attack Afrin as were fighting for ISIS, supported by its warplanes, tanks and other heavy weaponry. The aim of these fighters is to murder, rape, take sex slaves and plunder the same as under ISIS. Turkish president Erdogan has already indicated that Turkey plans to first take Afrin, and then the Arab controlled Manbij city which was freed from ISIS by the Kurds (along with Raqqua and other cities) and then all of rest of Kurdish controlled “Rojava” in northern Syria and put hard core fundamentalist militias in place under its command. He also planes to move millions of displaced Arab refugees presently in Turkey into northern Syria to displace and marginalise the Kurdish population. Apart from the horrific genocide that will ensue if Turkey succeeds in its aims, it will also extinguish the only democratic, secular, feminist and ecologically aware political/military force in the region. For all of these reasons and more the New Zealand government and progressive movement should be lending its moral support to the Syrian Kurds.

   “The Kurds deserve more than the friendship of their mountains, they deserve the solidarity of the international left, because not only is their existence and identity in danger but so too are the hopes of radical democracy and women’s liberation in the Middle East. Inside and outside Rojava, defending Afrin must become our imperative.”

   Meanwhile western countries happily sell arms to Turkey to kill innocent people:

   “Since 2005 more than 350 units of Leopard 1 and 2 tanks have been sold to Turkey and now cross the border to Syria in violation of international law. Turkish soldiers have been photographed repeatedly at the border areas with G3 rapid-fire rifles produced by German weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch. When President Erdoğan visited Theresa May in 10 Downing Street on January 27, 2017, she signed a sales contract worth almost €115 million for the construction of new TF-X brand fighter jets. A government spokeswoman added back then: “We assume that this will make further deals possible.”
   In January 2018, Erdoğan and French president Macron signed a preliminary agreement on the cooperation of the French-Italian weapon consortium Eurosam with the Turkish arms manufacturers Roketsan and Aselsan. Prior concessions were made for this deal already in September 2017, when Turkey released French journalist Loup Burea from prison. In addition, the Turkish Air Force has more than sixty “Mangusta” battle helicopters from Italian production in its arsenal, one of the reasons for the great joy at Erdoğan’s presence in Italy and the Vatican earlier this month.”

   Source: https://jacobinmag.com/2018/02/afrin-kurdistan-syria-turkey-erdogan-is-war

   “We have built up autonomous structures based on communal organising, women’s councils, academies, and cooperatives, as well as women’s self-defence. Through realizing that women’s solidarity is one of our most effective weapons, we have developed our collective strength and consciousness. Today, ten thousands of women have taken up arms to defend their land, their lives, and their future in Afrin. The resistance of the Women’s Defence Units YPJ and the women’s civil defence forces, Parastina Jinê, who have organised under the umbrella of the Women’s Movement of Rojava, Kongreya Star, are part of a women’s global resistance against any form of oppression, exploitation, femicide and fascism.
   While the international institutions and state governments keep silent about the abuses of international law and
   war crimes, we believe that women’s international solidarity will be our strongest weapon in defeating fascism and patriarchy. By stepping in the footprints of Ishtar and those women who created and defended communal life, we call upon women from all over the world to rise up for defending Afrin and the values of humanity!”

   Source: http://theregion.org/article/12765-kurdish-women-039-s-movement-of-rojava-call-for-global-solidarity-campaign-women-rise-up-for-afrin

   Some good pages on Facebook for anyone who wants to follow the battle etc

   Erdogan We Wont Be a Part of Your Crime Against the Kurds

   https://www.facebook.com/DownWithErdogan/

   Kurdish Female Fighters (YPJ)

   https://www.facebook.com/Kurdish-Female-Fighters-YPJ-1814267612131127/

   YPG Armed Forces

   https://www.facebook.com/YPG/

   Save Afrin

   https://www.facebook.com/saveefrin/

2. ‘The New Middle East: Kurds in Iraq and Syria Used as a Trojan Horse. Washington’s Intent is to “Divide the Middle East” ‘

   https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-new-middle-east-kurds-in-iraq-and-syria-used-as-a-trojan-horse-washingtons-intent-is-to-divide-the-middle-east/5598956

   ‘Sowing Division: Kurds in the Syrian War’

   http://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-did-israel-support-the-kurdish-referendum-23235

   ‘Why Did Israel Support the Kurdish Referendum?’

   http://www.mepc.org/journal/sowing-division-kurds-syrian-war

   ‘The Kurds: Washington’s Weapon Of Mass Destabilization In The Middle East’

   by Sarah Abed

   http://www.voltairenet.org/article197437.html

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