(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah - The withdrawal of American troops ordered by President Trump from Kurdish-held territories in northeastern Syria was no surprise to the Kurds, who had been expecting this move since mid-summer 2019. President Erdogan's intention to resettle the three million Syrian refugees in the territories "liberated" by the Turkish army can only mean a policy of ethnic cleansing to the Kurds. The entire Kurdish population in Syria is estimated at 2-3.5 million, located mainly in the big cities, with a minority residing in towns and villages bordering Turkey. An influx of three million Arab Sunnis would mean the disappearance of the Kurdish majority in the area. The writer, a special Middle East analyst at the Jerusalem Center, was former Deputy Head for Assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence.
2019-10-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive