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Kurdish Commander Calls for International Observers to Prevent Ethnic Cleansing in Syria
(Foreign Policy) Lara Seligman - Gen. Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), called on the U.S. to enforce the Oct. 17 agreement negotiated by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to end Turkey's incursion into northeastern Syria. Abdi said the Turks are violating the condition that both sides would safeguard religious and ethnic minorities inside the 20-mile zone Turkey seized from the Kurdish forces. "The Turks are doing ethnic cleansing inside this area as they did in Afrin," Abdi said, referring to Turkey's 2018 invasion of the majority-Kurdish Afrin district. He called on the U.S. and the UN to send international observers as a guarantee to the displaced Kurdish population. The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army has been terrorizing the local population. There are regular reports of atrocities including arrests, looting, and executions. The Kurdish commander said the Turkish proxies are arresting and killing any Kurds who try to return.