Tuesday, September 25, 2018

The Trouble With Tribbles

So jihadi rebels in Idlib province might accept a Russian deal to relocate?

The main jihadist group in northwest Syria will announce its position on a Turkish-Russian deal over Idlib in the next few days, it said on Monday, with its acceptance or rejection vital to the success of efforts to contain the war.

Tahrir al-Sham's stance will be critical to last week's deal which has, for now, averted a full-scale Syrian government offensive in Idlib, which along with adjacent areas of the northwest is the rebels' last major foothold.

The agreement requires "radical" insurgents including Tahrir al-Sham to withdraw from a demilitarized zone along the frontlines by October 15.

So the jihadis pull back from the front that will be patrolled by Russian and Turkish troops?

They would join other rebels who already agreed to the proposal.

Where do the rebels go? I can't believe this is a proposal to create a rebel safe haven.

Does the DMZ prohibit the Syrian government and allied forces from attacking through the DMZ to get jihadi rebels if the jihadis refuse the deal?Or even if they agree?

Doesn't this deal really just peel the jihadis away from the rebels to allow the Syrian side to divide and conquer the remaining rebels?

Or would Russia and Turkey eventually evacuate the jihadis and send them to the east where they'll be no problem at all (for them--but not for America and the Kurds)?