The Latest: Protesters turn out in Paris to support Kurds

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Updated 10:22 am CDT, Saturday, October 12, 2019

AKCAKALE, Turkey (AP) — The Latest on Turkey's military offensive into northeastern Syria against Syrian Kurdish fighters (all times local):

6:20 p.m.

Thousands of people have demonstrated in Paris in support of Kurds being targeted by Turkish forces in Syria.

Protesters warned that the offensive could allow Islamic State group extremists to resurge. Kurdish forces being targeted by Turkey this week were crucial to the international campaign against IS fighters, who orchestrated several deadly attacks against France.

Demonstrators from various activist groups slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with one carrying a sign reading "Erdogan=IS." They also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, which helped pave the way for the Turkish offensive.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/article/The-Latest-France-says-Turkey-must-stop-Syrian-14516626.php

[Evolve Dammit]

1. Yes! Where are other protests? Should be here, but....

Makes me wonder about the attention level. I've given up on the intelligence and informed levels.

[Igel]

2. The Turks have a long history of relocating ethnicities.

Whether Albanians or Circassians or Greeks or Armenians or Tatars or Turkmen, they're into (a) ethnic cleansing, (b) relocations to break up troublesome ethnicities that have a tendency to getting uppity at times, (c) relocating uppity ethnicities to make sure they know their (newly appointed) place, (d) relocating populations that are loyal to ensure a "territory's" loyalty to the PTB. Note that (b) and (c) tend to co-occur.

Self-motivated ethnic migrations tend to produce enough problems when groups are put into the same basket and told to be fair and nice to each other, but when peoples known to tend towards being hostile are put together because they're hostile, it's a bad idea.

It's an old Assyrian idea that was widely used by the Ottomans. Conquer and area and put in people you want there, get rid of people you don't want there--but use the latter as a weapon against others you need to keep in subjugation. In this case, the Arab refugees can be weaponized against the Kurds--weaken the Kurds, protect the ethnic solidarity of much of Turkey, save money, and ensure that the populations on the other side of the border from you will focus their eternal hate on each other and not you.

[iluvtennis]

4. Thanks for this add'l context. nt

[Karadeniz]

3. We should be out protesting! I wish I could.

[Duppers]

5. K & R