The recent changes in the Middle East have seen the conflict between Palestine and Israel subside, and fierce clashes have erupted between Turkey and Kurdish forces, resulting in many people on both sides. What is surprising is that the United States did not act as a "peacemaker" this time, as in the past, but clearly expressed its support for Turkey's fight against Kurdish forces, a move that has aroused widespread concern in the international community.
According to reports, on the 23rd, Turkish military forces in northern Iraq and northern Syria were attacked by Kurdish forces, and fierce exchanges of fire broke out between the two sides, resulting in the death of 12 Turkish soldiers and 12 members of Kurdish forces, and many others were injured. The Turkish Ministry of Defense then announced that it had retaliated with air strikes against Kurdish targets.
On the evening of the 24th, Turkish intelligence announced that in the Ain Arab region of northern Syria, the regional head of the Kurdish forces, named Bajos Afrin, was successfully killed. According to the Turkish side, Bajos is a Syrian citizen who has repeatedly planned and organized terrorist attacks against Turkey and is a dangerous extremist. The Turkish side also said that it would continue to strike at Kurdish forces until the threat was eliminated.
Kurdish forces are an armed group active in the Middle East, consisting mainly of ethnic Kurds, whose goal is to create an independent Kurdish state on the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Kurdish forces have a long history of contradictions with Turkey, which often clashes between the two sides, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization and has repeatedly struck at it on the territory of Syria and Iraq.
On the one hand, Kurdish forces used to be an important ally of the United States in the Middle East, helping the United States fight Islamic State and other extremist organizations, receiving military and economic assistance from the United States, and even being considered one of the most powerful forces in the Middle East. On the other hand, Kurdish forces have also been betrayed and abandoned by the United States, such as in 2019, when the United States abruptly withdrew its troops from northern Syria, resulting in Kurdish forces losing the protection of the United States and being besieged by military operations launched by Turkey.
Therefore, the outside world has always been confused by the attitude of the United States towards the Kurdish forces, and it is not known whether the United States wants to continue to use the Kurdish forces or completely abandon the Kurdish forces. And this time, the statement of the United States seems to give a clear answer.
On the evening of the 24th, the United States issued a statement resolutely supporting NATO ally Turkey in its fight against Kurdish forces, and said that Kurdish forces have been listed as "extremist organizations", and the United States condemned all terrorist attacks against Turkey, and also said that Kurdish forces "take it for granted" to pose a security threat to Turkey, and called on Turkey to coordinate with Iraq to fight Kurdish forces in order to maintain and respect Iraq's sovereignty.
This statement is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Kurdish forces by the United States, which is equivalent to "drawing a clear line" with the Kurdish forces, and at the same time, it is also a gesture of goodwill to Turkey, indicating that the United States is willing to support Turkey's actions at the NATO level, and does not even mind Turkey's involvement in the sovereignty issue of Iraq. This move has aroused widespread concern in the international community, with some people believing that the United States is "selling allies," some people think that the United States is "exchanging interests," and some people think that the United States is "stopping losses."
So why is the United States doing this? We can analyze it from the following aspects.
First, the United States may believe that the Kurdish forces have lost their usefulness and are not worth continuing to invest in resources and energy. Although the Kurdish forces were once important allies of the United States in the Middle East, they are also an armed group that is difficult to control and manage, and their goals do not fully coincide with the interests of the United States, and sometimes they even conflict with the United States. For example, Kurdish forces have created a state-like autonomous region in northern Syria, which is inconsistent with U.S. political goals in Syria and the interests of other U.S. allies in Syria, such as Turkey and Arab countries. In addition, the Kurdish forces have also been attacked by Turkey and other countries in recent years, and their strength and influence have declined significantly, and they are no longer a strong pillar of the United States in the Middle East. Therefore, the United States may feel that the Kurdish forces are no longer useful, and it is better to withdraw in time to avoid falling into a deeper quagmire.
Second, the United States may want to abandon the Kurdish forces in exchange for the support and cooperation of Turkey and other countries. Turkey is an important member of NATO and an important force in the Middle East, and its role in geopolitics should not be underestimated. There have been some rifts in U.S.-Turkey relations in recent years, mainly because of U.S. support for Kurdish forces, which has led to dissatisfaction and unease in Turkey. Turkey has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from NATO, or to move closer to countries such as Russia, which has upset the United States. Therefore, the United States may want to ease relations with Turkey by abandoning Kurdish forces and enlist Turkey's support and cooperation in NATO and the Middle East. For example, the United States may want Turkey to agree to Sweden's membership in NATO, or Turkey to give the United States more cooperation on the Iranian nuclear issue.
Finally, the United States may want to reduce its own burden and risks in the Middle East by getting rid of Kurdish forces. The strategic objectives of the United States in the Middle East have changed, and the United States no longer needs to maintain a large-scale military presence in the Middle East, but wants to maintain its own interests through its own people and allies. Kurdish forces are a burden and a risk for the United States in the Middle East, and the United States does not want to have a conflict with Turkey and other countries for the sake of Kurdish forces, nor does it want to sacrifice its own interests for the sake of Kurdish forces. Therefore, the United States may want to reduce its involvement and crisis in the Middle East by getting rid of the Kurdish forces.
To sum up, the US statement on the Kurdish armed forces this time is undoubtedly a major strategic change and a political decision with far-reaching implications. This move by the United States will have an important impact on the situation in the Middle East and will also have an important impact on the relations between the United States and Turkey and other countries. Tensions in the Middle East will continue to escalate, the conflict between Turkey and the Kurdish forces will further intensify, cooperation between the United States and Turkey and other countries will be further strengthened, and relations between the United States and the Kurdish forces will further deteriorate. The changing situation in the Middle East is a cause for concern. We will continue to monitor the development of the situation and provide you with the latest information and analysis.