(en) France, Organisation Communiste Libertarie (OCL) - Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan) - The bataillle of Koban?: between jihadist offensive, Turkish and Kurdish resistance complicity (fr, pt)

 [machine translation]

The offensive of the Islamic State (EI) launched on Koban?, one of three townships Kurds 
in Syria, September 15, and continues marks a crucial episode at a time of war in Syria 
and the revolution launched by movements of the left Kurdish. ---- stake in this battle 
determines the fate of the entire Kurdistan and the entire Middle East. ---- Koban? third 
Kurdish city in Syria, inhabited before the war about 300 000 but now housing more than 
200,000 refugees, has for more than a week the scene of military operations of the most 
brutal jihadists and after Homs, the cruelest. ---- A consequence of the strengthening of 
Islamists ---- The immediate cause of the attack is outside Syria. In Iraq, the IU was 
able to seize a huge booty of arms, partly under Saddam Hussein but more importantly a 
huge amount of heavy weapons and armored abandoned by the United States and "new" Iraqi 
army. When, in June, the IU held Mosul, he found almost intact arsenals. In August, the 
Islamist group launched against Sinjar because this city is mainly inhabited by Yazidis. 
The purpose of EI is to literally destroy any religion that is not Sunni Muslim. These 
events have caused an international response and the United States began bombing the 
positions of IE allowing some recovery of the land from the Iraqi Kurdish troops 
(including Mosul Dam).

During the events of Sinjar, the main Kurdish militia Syria, the YPG (Yek?ney?n Parastina 
Gel / Units Defence of the People) will intervene for the first time on Iraqi soil to save 
tens of thousands of refugees, abandoned by all, sending reinforcements from Rojava 
(Kurdistan of Syria). Reinforcements have been instrumental in the mountains of Sinjar, 
organizing humanitarian corridors and by organizing the first Yezidi self-defense units, 
but also on other parts of the front line, in particular by taking, with PKK fighters 
rushed themselves also, the town of Makhmour and the surrounding villages.

Paradoxically or not, the American bombings, which certainly saved many civilians in Iraq, 
caused this brutal attack on Syrian territory. It is not possible to operate in Iraq 
without thinking on a global scale, especially on the developments in Syria, because it 
amounts to protect themselves on a blank leaving the other uncovered.

?

But the United States does not seem to have a strategy that goes beyond the protection of 
the oil fields and the restoration of the old national and institutional frameworks. In 
this sense, hitting the IE in Iraq (especially in Iraq), Mosul and retrieve the rich 
northern provinces, help to strengthen the autonomous regime of Iraqi Kurdistan, which 
comes simultaneously refluxing jihadists and return to Syria (where they will be most 
useful for Westerners fighting both the Damascus regime and Kurdish "terrorist" PKK-PYD), 
appear as the main focus of the United States and coalition intends to place on up and run.
Recent bombings on Syrian soil obey this general line, even if they apparently opened a 
second anti-jihadist whose forehead covered and expected to weaken the regime of Bashar 
al-Assad effect.

Koban? is located in the province of Raqqa is strength instead of IE, the "real" capital, 
which will fold to jihadist forces in the event of a major offensive on Mosul (Nineveh 
province) and western Iraq (the largest province of Al-Anbar ? desert but with rebel 
cities of Ramadi and Fallujah and uncontrolled borders with Jordan and Saudi Arabia).

The elements of this offensive

The AEs he seems moved some of his forces in Syria, specifically in Raqqa. The "Caliph" 
self proclaimed himself, Ibrahim is now in Syria. Once he was able to focus much of its 
military forces in Syria, the IU ended up with great potential and has set a new priority: 
Koban?.

The reasons are at least threefold:
1) Koban? is the central canton of three cantons Kurds. It is also the smallest. The drop 
means isolate the other two, Efrin west, east cerize.
2) Koban? provides access to Turkey from Syria. As several sources have shown, the 
evidence of Turkish support for IR are clear.
3) The Kurds, especially YPG, have been on the battlefield as the only force that can cope 
with the EI, and even crush it in many places. On equal terms means.

To this can be added additional reasons, symbolic but equally important.
Koban? is where the revolution was proclaimed the Rojava, 19 July 2012 It is also the town 
where went the first time Abdullah ?calan , July 2, 1979, when he was exiled from Turkey 
to continue the fight. It was also at Koban? the Kurdish solidarity with the victims of 
the Anfal operation perpetrated by the regime of Saddam Hussein (the massacre of Halabja 
in 1988) was among the highest, where, among others, children were donated their own 
clothes for young genocide survivors. This is one of the cradles of the Kurdish movement 
in Syria.

And additionally, a tactical reason: the jihadists could expect to benefit from the 
absence of bombing Western forces on Syrian soil.

In this context, the EI has launched a very Koban? prepared against attack with the following:
1) An attack on three fronts; by the east, west and south.
2) The commitment of 3,000 fighters at the beginning, which were strengthened after five 
days more than 4000 other: they are now 7000.
3) Use for most of its arsenal of Syria.
4) The use of military equipment arrived from Turkey, at least two freight trains 
anonymous detected Tell-Abyad
5) And fundamental: the use of artillery heavy, especially around 50 tanks and even in 
Turkey according to testimony from Iraq, arsenals of the Syrian regime.

This imbalance in armaments has meant that on September 15, IU was able to break the front 
from the south, despite the desperate Kurdish resistance. On September 17 jihadist 
Advanced was undeniable.

YPG have no armored vehicles and tanks, and fight primarily with AK47 (assault rifles, the 
famous Kalashnikov), RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades, medium range) and machine guns. 
Their superiority in organization, experience and determination allowed them to hold out 
for months, but the arrival of tanks from Raqqa made it impossible to maintain this 
balance of power. It's like fighting with spears against guns. Especially since it is a 
plain, desert and partly irrigated, making it almost impossible guerrilla warfare against 
forces with armored equipment equipped for long-range shots.

?

On 17 September, the IU entered 21 villages and the next day, the YPG has given the order 
to evacuate people and retreat. 48 hours later, the villages occupied by the jihadists are 
thought to number about sixty.
From there, YPG managed to stabilize the front at the cost of heavy casualties on both 
sides. The AEs he seems chose not to use all his strength and is limited to massive 
bombings against civilians. The Observatory for Human Rights in Syria (close to the 
opposition "moderate") refers to 70 deaths in each camp, but also a large number of 
missing among the Kurds. Other sources claim the much greater losses among jihadists.

Turkey's main ally jihadists

The desperate calls of the besieged had no effect. The United States, the main responsible 
for the facts to be bombed Iraq and Syria left a sanctuary, have looked elsewhere for more 
than a week. Turkey offers informal support for IR and the Iraqi Kurds who have both YPG 
are limited to words and gestures. One last fact: EI issued a fatwa (religious decree) by 
which all Kurds who are captured, whether military or civilian, should be decapitated. 
Half a million Kurds are encircled in Koban? by EI with two options: die fighting or 
bombing or be executed if caught.

?

But thousands of civilians have fled before the arrival of jihadists and headed to the 
Syrian-Turkish border.

For its part, Turkey has initially rendered totally impassable border to the Kurds. The 
instructions of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was to create a buffer zone to block all 
aid to the Kurds in Syria, civilians and combatants, was ordered to return to their city 
and their bombed villages.

Friday, September 19, when they were only 3-4000 face Turkish soldiers and hundreds of 
young Kurds came to show their solidarity from the Turkish side, they forced their way, 
cut the barbed wire and forced the government Turkey to open the border. The next day, 
they and were tens of thousands.

This Monday, Sept. 22, refugees fleeing the offensive jihad exceed 100 000 We're talking 
about 130,000. Kurds, but also: Arabs, Assyrians, Armenians ... all composite populations 
of this region, beyond the Kurds, living and / or communities who have found refuge in 
Koban? mass since the beginning of the war (200,000 ), fleeing from the border was ajar.

?

All weekend, the Turkish Kurds took to the streets by the tens of thousands in major 
cities. Hundreds of young people across the southeast of Turkey headed by bus or private 
car to the city of Suru? (Pirs?s in Kurdish), close to the border, opposite Koban?.

Thousands of police, gendarmes and Turkish soldiers have been deployed to control the 
demonstrators and activists who want to mingle with refugees. At the border post 
Mursitpinar, the forces of repression Turkey launched attacks to disperse the crowd 
without gas and water cannon. Sunday, more than thirty injured protesters were admitted to 
different hospitals in the province of Urfa (or Sanl?urfa). Hundreds of protesters 
responded with stones and at least one police vehicle was set on fire. Solidarity tents 
erected by protesters were also burnt by the soldiers.

The Turkish state, already accused of arming jihadists yet, aims to create a buffer zone 
on the border to prevent the flow of people in both directions: the flight of refugees to 
Turkey in a sense, the influx of volunteers and material support towards Koban? to enhance 
resistance.

According to various sources, more than a thousand young Kurds in Turkey have managed to 
cross the border to other places to join the ranks of YPG, responding to the call on 
September 18 by the KCK (Union of Communities of Kurdistan).

Friday, September 19, at noon, the Turkish government relented on refugee reception (could 
he do otherwise?) But continues to assist the IE by preventing reinforcements and 
equipment (weapons, ammunition , equipment, other military and non-military supplies) to 
reach the besieged city. Turkey not only blocks the volunteers of Turkish Kurdistan but 
also many Syrian Kurds who crossed the border to support their families, helping them to 
shelter and wish to return to Koban? to fight.

Since Saturday, September 20, refugees can pass but the outputs towards Koban? are 
completely blocked on and around the main road.

The Turkish military, in fact, complete the seat of jihadists Koban? the north.

?

Sunday, September 21, as fighting raged on the border between the Turkish troops and 
police and young protesters Kurdish, the PKK launched a new call to arms to defend the 
city of Koban? and claimed that 400 of its fighters had joined the front these days, a 
front line that is about fifteen kilometers from the city. Other reinforcements and better 
weapons (including anti-tank) are expected in the coming days, despite the encirclement.
Attacks diversion are also expected from other Kurdish districts of Syria, in particular 
Jazeera in is Koban?.

Sunday, 21.09 constantly, according to the Turkish daily Milliyet , IE reportedly captured 
300 alleged members of the PYD in different villages and were then shot dead. According to 
the daily, some of them were forced to strip, then dragged to the ground before being 
executed. Pictures of bodies lying on the ground were broadcast on the Internet without 
being authenticated.

The testimonies of refugees crossing the border on foot, vehicles, including ambulances, 
report that there have been numerous beheadings in the villages. For Ibrahim Binici 
pro-Kurdish MP HDP present on the border who collected these stories, "rather than a war, 
this is an operation of genocide ... They go into villages, cut the heads of one or two 
people and show the villagers " .

?

KCK: "There is no limit to the resistance"

The Kurdish movement as a whole calls for a general mobilization to defend Koban? and 
repel the forces of EI.

Civil legal political organizations and the range of associations called the people to 
take to the street to go to mass in the direction of the border to help refugees and 
besieged. For their part, the authorities of the movement as the KCK and the "illegal" and 
fighting organizations (PKK ... PYD), call the Kurdish Youth Turkey to join the armed 
resistance by enlisting in combat units, including YPG and the YPJ Rojava. On 22 
September, the KCK issues a new statement saying that "the Kurdish people should not put 
limits to its strength" .

Statement

KCK: Borders are disappearing, Urfa [*] and Koban? must unite

ANF - September 20, 2014

The co-chair of the Executive Council of the KCK appealed inviting the people of 
Kurdistan, first and foremost the people [district] of Urfa, to join the resistance Koban? 
and make the fight against the EIIL [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, now EI, Islamic 
State] the struggle of the people of Kurdistan whole "Let's remove the borders, unite with 
Koban? Urfa, unmake the aggressors and do EIIL of the Revolution of the Rojava revolution 
throughout Syria and the whole Middle East "

The declaration of the KCK said the resistance of the people of Koban? encouraged 
democratic struggle everywhere, adding "tens of thousands of young people should join the 
resistance to fascism and answer the EIIL."

"Turkey is behind the gangs of EIIL"

The release of KCK said afterwards: "They can deny it is no doubt that one of the powers 
behind the EIIL is Turkey. The Turkish state uses to attack EIIL revolution Rojava and the 
entire Kurdish people. That's how it conducts its dirty war against the Kurdish liberation 
struggle. The PDK, which is allied with Turkey, said that Turkey had not helped when he 
was attacked by EIIL. This demonstrates that relations Turkey EIIL are deeper and more 
comprehensive than the PDK-Turkey relations. The AKP government is trying to emerge from 
its isolation in the region by EIIL. Media around the world have documented this 
relationship. The release of 49 members of the consular staff Turkish [Mosul] occurred as 
a result of this support for the EIIL. The hostages were released mainly because of the 
collaboration with the Turkish EIIL during his last assault on Koban?. "

"Turkey maintains its most hypocritical political"

The declaration of the KCK points to the hypocrisy of Turkish politics, saying, "First, it 
uses the EIIL to attack the Kurdish people, and on the other it makes propaganda about how 
it accommodates those who arrive at its borders. This will go down in history as a 
flagrant example of hypocrisy. One goal of Turkey is to clear Koban? Kurds, breaking the 
positive effects of the Revolution on Rojava North Kurdistan "[Turkey].

The declaration of the KCK insists that the revolution should be extended to Koban? Urfa, 
and fascism on the EIIL be drowned in blood he shed because of the revolution Rojava 
combined with the revolution in northern Kurdistan.

"The Kurds in the north have to travel to Koban? and Rojava"

"Tens of thousands of young people should join the resistance to fascism and answer the 
EIIL," the statement said, adding that in this way the Turkish state and the anti-Kurdish 
policies of the AKP could be defeated.

"Right now, the Turkish state and the AKP have no political solution. They use EIIL to 
strangle democratic aspirations. "

"The attacks of EIIL should be considered attacks Turkey"

KCK statement concludes with a call to arms: "Resistance against the EIIL in Koban? must 
be transformed into a resistance against the AKP government. Join the resistance and do 
Koban? the fight against the EIIL the struggle of the people of the entire Kurdistan. 
Let's remove the borders, unite with Koban? Urfa, unmake the aggressors EIIL and do the 
Revolution Rojava revolution throughout Syria and the whole Middle East "

Declaration of the Executive Council of the KCK ends commemorating those who fell during 
the struggle in the canton of Koban?.

***

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[*] Note: Urfa is the province of Kurdistan Turkish opposite Township Koban?. District 
Suru? (Pirs?s in Kurdish) near the border, where refugees find themselves, in part .

?

On the diplomatic front, three members of the HDP (Democratic People's Party) in Turkey, 
Selma Irmak, Sabahat Tuncel, Kemal Aktas and a former MP in the European Parliament German 
Feleknaz Uca, began a hunger strike in Geneva before the offices of the UN, Sunday, Sept. 
21 to draw the attention of the public on the offensive and the massacres of the Islamic 
state to Koban? and seek emergency humanitarian aid for the Kurdish people. Selma Irmak 
told a journalist from Today's Zaman Ankara: "In addition to the hunger strike, we will 
have diplomatic talks with UN officials. We will ask the UN and international powers to 
send military aid to the Kurds to eliminate violence of IE " .

On the Kurdish front, the PKK, the voice of one of its officers, Duran Kalkan, does not 
call the Peshmerga Iraq to intervene directly on the floor of Rojava, but their 
application to launch offensives into Iraq against the jihadists.

Several witnesses on the night of Sunday to Monday, September 22, about 500 PKK fighters 
have managed to outwit the border by the Turkish army and infiltrate Syrian territory.

In total, it is estimated that for a week, some 1,000 PKK fighters have joined Koban? and 
an equal number of young Kurdish militants or sympathizers not fighters managed to cross 
the border to enlist in combat units or in one way or another, participate in the defense 
of the city.

In addition, several hundred guerrilla fighters of the PKK have passed since their base, 
located in the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq, in the easternmost canton of Rojava, 
Cez?r? (Jazira) to contribute to the implementation attacks on other fronts to break the 
siege of Koban?.

Jihadist offensive blocked

This Monday, Sept. 22, the YPG reported having stabilized the front and blocked the 
offensive EI about fifteen kilometers from the city of Kobam? and even have started an 
offensive against the southern and eastern fronts. Furthermore, Kurdish forces have 
started an attack against jihadist positions from Canton Cez?r? (Jazira).

In a statement, the press center of YPG says that Kurdish forces lost 32 soldiers in 
combat in a week, and inflicted far greater losses to the EI: 232 killed, four tanks and a 
dozen vehicles were destroyed, and a large amount of weapons seized. They also had 
arrested three foreign jihadists, two Belgians and one French.

?

The situation in the city is becoming increasingly difficult. Water and electricity were 
cut by the jihadists. A reporter from a Turkish newspaper speaks of a city partly 
deserted, but also with people determined and armed with handguns. Young Kurds from the 
north train for part in weapons or are incorporated into groups of civil defense of the city.

Solidarity across

In France, Saturday, Sept. 21, events in Paris at the call of the Federation of 
Associations of France Kurds (FEYKA). In Marseille, the Old Port, a banner 80 feet long 
was deployed by Kurdish militants. ... In Germany, several events took place.

Regarding calls for international aid, Kurdish forces Koban? require neither the presence 
of Peshmerga in Iraq (they do not want all that barzanistes put their feet in the corner) 
neither expressly airstrikes ( even if they wish) but they would welcome heavy weapons, 
anti-tank, allowing them to fight "on equal terms" and to take the offensive on the ground 
floor. By cons, if the coalition "Western" on the "Syrian front" against the Islamic 
state, the PYD does not intend to be excluded: he asked to be included as a belligerent 
force leading opposing both the Assad regime and the jihadis with extensive experience in 
ground fighting (interview Saleh Muslim, co-president of PYD, the Frankfurter Allgemeine , 
21-09-2014)

Air strikes in the United States

On the night of September 22 to 23, several air strikes took place on Syrian territory on 
the initiative of the United States. The main targets were the infrastructure of IE in the 
Raqqa region near Tabqa (former air base taken by the EI regime on 24 August), Ain Issa 
(between Raqqa and Koban?) and Tell Abyad (IWRM Sipi Kurdish, close to Turkey, an area of 
conflict with YPG), Deir ez-Zor southeast and in two places in the border between Syria 
and Iraq under control of IE.

Other bombings took place in the Aleppo region and that of Idlib, in the northwest of the 
country where they are-it seems the jihadists of al-Nosra Front (Al-Qaeda maintained) that 
were targeted.

A statement from the staff of ?tatsuniennes armed forces, the coalition included Saudi 
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar. Beautiful reversals jackets 
when we know where the support came (in weapons and financial) jihadists ...

The various factions of the Syrian opposition called moderate welcome these strikes.
Kurdish movements also welcomed the intervention.

But they did not meet.
They want weapons, such as Iraqi Kurds. They want support for their struggle. 
Demonstrations are underway in this regard, particularly in London, to Parliament where a 
rally was called Wednesday, 9.24, and in Brussels on 24 and 25 September in Paris on 24 in 
Reims, Draguignan, Strasbourg, Bordeaux , Toulouse, etc ...

They want to be associated with anti-EI coalition: "We look forward to working with the 
coalition in the fight against terrorism that threatens all human values in the Middle 
East," said Salih Muslim, co-chairman of the Party of Democratic Union (PYD) this Tuesday, 
September 23. But they do not want the proxy play an opportunistic coalition 
"Arab-Western", quite the opposite: they want to increase the resources to continue the 
fight Kurdish liberation, with the establishment of a political project and a original and 
alternative social model (confederalism democratic autonomy, ecology, anti-patriarchy 
...): these are the goals then they intend to defend and place in a non-negotiable part of 
a "front" to fight anti- Jihadist. They want recognition of the autonomy of 
self-government and its Rojava. They want to continue, deepen, extend, expand the 
mobilization for the Kurdish liberation on all fronts, on all terrains of struggle.

If they fight militarily in Syria and Iraq, they do not forget the global nature of their 
struggle and in particular that they lead for so long on the Turkish front. They want to 
be denounced the policy of Turkey, either dismantled the "buffer zone" set up by the 
Turkish government at the border, no man's land that has militarized other functions that 
complement the seat Koban? and prevent reinforcements to join the Kurdish enclave to rout 
the jihadists.

They call for the sanctioned states that help the jihadists and the PKK to be removed from 
the list of terrorist organizations.

Kurdish forces YPG and YPJ for their part have not only halted the offensive on jihadist 
Koban? from Sunday, September 21, but launched an offensive on Monday 22 City Tell Abyad 
(70 kilometers east of Koban?) held by the IU from the Kurdish city of S?r?kaniy? (Rass 
al-Ain, Canton Ciz?r?) located more than 100 km to the east. Other attacks are carried out 
for three days in the south of this area (Mabrukah) against jihadist positions to break 
the siege of Koban?.

?

The Battle of Koban? is not only an important episode for Koban? and Rojava or even the 
only fight against the jihadists. His challenge determines the fate of the entire 
Kurdistan and the entire Middle East.

The September 23, 2014

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Post Scriptum

As we complete the editing of this article on the site, a statement of YPG made a quick 
status report. He announced this Wednesday, Sept. 24 that jihadists are stuck on the 
Eastern Front, and several villages (Susane, Tell Xezal, Halinc ...) were taken to 
jihadists in the south, southwest and west Koban? recent hours.
This early-offensive against is now led by YPG / YPJ alone, sometimes with fighters Burkan 
El F?rat , Joint Operations Center, recently established structure involving brigades from 
ASL in the region of the Euphrates and acting political agreement and in close 
coordination with the military YPG, against the jihadists and against the regime in Damascus.

?

_ _
Links to http://oclibertaire.free.fr/spip.php?article1581

Video showing hundreds of Kurds storming a Turkish border post Monday, September 22 and 
penetrating mass Koban? to join the resistance.

?

Syria: Facing the barbaric attacks against the IU Koban?,
call for demonstrations on September 27

To go further ...

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