Buffer zone as part of imperialists’ plan to attack Syria

Oct 8, 2014, Crescent International

The idea of a “buffer zone” on Syrian territory at the Syria-Turkish border first broached by President Recep Tayip Erdogan of Turey during his visit to the US last month has now been formally embraced by the US and Britain.

As with numerous other developments, the excuse this time is the Takfiri terrorists’ advances in the border town of Kobane. A predominantly Kurdish town, it has been under the control of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) headed by Saleh Muslim.

The PYD is a close ally of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Kurdish group that the Turkish state is at war with. The PYD’s power base is Rojava.

Since mid-July 2012, when the government in Damascus decided to withdraw its forces from the Kurdish majority areas of Syria, it led to the creation of three Kurdish cantons—Afrin, Kobane and Jazira.

While American B-1 bombers have been attacking takfiri positions in Kobane, Turkish troops and tanks near the town sit idly and merely watch American planes fly overhead.

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said the situation in Kobane was not ideal and expressed frustration that in the absence of ground troops, progress against the takfiris may be limited.

At the same time, US Secretary of State John Kerry said today “The buffer zone… is an idea that’s out there, it’s worth examining, it’s worth looking at very, very closely.”

In order to buttress the argument for the “buffer zone,” Kerry exaggerated the number of refugees from Kobane claiming millions had fled (the actual number is 200,000). While millions of Syrians have been forced by nearly four years of fighting, Kerry said these refugees “should not be a problem which is thrust onto Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, where they bear an incredible burden.”

So what did Kerry propose to do about the refugees?

“If Syrian citizens can return to Syria and be protected in an area across the border, there’s a lot that would commend that. You’d have to guarantee safety, that there wouldn’t be attacks by the government… so it needs a thorough examination. We’re all in favor of looking at this very closely.”

Syrian government forces have not attacked the refugees. Instead, they left the area more than two years ago. It is the US-Israeli-Saudi created and financed takfiris that are causing mayhem.

Eruption of the takfiris is part of the US plan for regime change in Syria. It is no secret that US allies Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have financed and armed these terrorists. Even US Vice President Joe Biden said so in a speech at Harvard University on October 2.

Both White House and Pentagon officials are tiptoeing around the idea of the buffer zone but the fact that it is being brought up so frequently indicates it is under serious consideration and plans are well advanced to put it in place.

The implications are clear: this would bring American and other western troops to occupy parts of Syria. Creeping annexation and ultimately direct attacks on Syrian forces would quickly ensue.

The Canadian government announced plans on October 7 to send CF-18 planes and hundreds of “advisors” to Iraq, initially for a six-month period against the takfiris. This may be extended.

The British and French governments are also on board as are Australia and Denmark. The invasion and re-occupation of the Middle East starting with Iraq and Syria are well underway.