Michael Weiss

They have been champing at the bit to go on the offensive against Assad because they realize he has never been weaker than he is now. As I mentioned, his – not his strategic partner, his patron, the Iranians, are a busted flush more or less. The Russians are, as you may have noticed, preoccupied elsewhere.

And so they have been asking their patron, the Turks – the Turks control the border crossings in northern Syria and this – at least in this part of the country. They pay the salaries of HTS, the group I alluded to. They give them weapons. They have garrisons in Idlib, including with artillery that are there to protect HTS from Russian and Syrian onslaught.

And so they have been asking their patron, the Turks – the Turks control the border crossings in northern Syria and this – at least in this part of the country. They pay the salaries of HTS, the group I alluded to. They give them weapons. They have garrisons in Idlib, including with artillery that are there to protect HTS from Russian and Syrian onslaught.

And so they have been asking their patron, the Turks – the Turks control the border crossings in northern Syria and this – at least in this part of the country. They pay the salaries of HTS, the group I alluded to. They give them weapons. They have garrisons in Idlib, including with artillery that are there to protect HTS from Russian and Syrian onslaught.

The Turks have kept them at bay for several months saying, no, we don't want you to go on the offensive.

The Turks have kept them at bay for several months saying, no, we don't want you to go on the offensive.

The Turks have kept them at bay for several months saying, no, we don't want you to go on the offensive.

So the Turks have absolutely no problem lying down with Sunni Islamist radicals, particularly those who will advance. Turkey has one overriding national security concern in Syria, and that is the aforementioned PKK. And for many years, since our counter ISIS mission got underway 2014, Turkey has been pissed off at the United States for partnering with

So the Turks have absolutely no problem lying down with Sunni Islamist radicals, particularly those who will advance. Turkey has one overriding national security concern in Syria, and that is the aforementioned PKK. And for many years, since our counter ISIS mission got underway 2014, Turkey has been pissed off at the United States for partnering with

So the Turks have absolutely no problem lying down with Sunni Islamist radicals, particularly those who will advance. Turkey has one overriding national security concern in Syria, and that is the aforementioned PKK. And for many years, since our counter ISIS mission got underway 2014, Turkey has been pissed off at the United States for partnering with

as I say, a designated Kurdish terrorist group, designated by the U.S., not just by Turkey, by the way, which Turkey has been on and off at war with for 40 years. This started as a separatist movement inside Turkey. These guys, their headquarters is the Kandil Mountains, but the Syrian branch or affiliate of it is now

as I say, a designated Kurdish terrorist group, designated by the U.S., not just by Turkey, by the way, which Turkey has been on and off at war with for 40 years. This started as a separatist movement inside Turkey. These guys, their headquarters is the Kandil Mountains, but the Syrian branch or affiliate of it is now

as I say, a designated Kurdish terrorist group, designated by the U.S., not just by Turkey, by the way, which Turkey has been on and off at war with for 40 years. This started as a separatist movement inside Turkey. These guys, their headquarters is the Kandil Mountains, but the Syrian branch or affiliate of it is now

you know, our eyes and ears on the ground in eastern Syria to contain and ensure that ISIS does not come back and rebuild the caliphate. So the Turks have maintained, this is ludicrous, this is contradictory and also insulting. We are a NATO ally. And it's like if Turkey had come to Mexico and started building an Al Qaeda franchise, that's how they compare it.

you know, our eyes and ears on the ground in eastern Syria to contain and ensure that ISIS does not come back and rebuild the caliphate. So the Turks have maintained, this is ludicrous, this is contradictory and also insulting. We are a NATO ally. And it's like if Turkey had come to Mexico and started building an Al Qaeda franchise, that's how they compare it.

you know, our eyes and ears on the ground in eastern Syria to contain and ensure that ISIS does not come back and rebuild the caliphate. So the Turks have maintained, this is ludicrous, this is contradictory and also insulting. We are a NATO ally. And it's like if Turkey had come to Mexico and started building an Al Qaeda franchise, that's how they compare it.

No, Idlib level infrastructure is better than you have in New Orleans, apparently.

No, Idlib level infrastructure is better than you have in New Orleans, apparently.

No, Idlib level infrastructure is better than you have in New Orleans, apparently.

Yeah. Well, the answer to your first question is the U.S. is deeply concerned about the groups that Turkey has sort of given patronage to. So I need to be a little bit more specific here. I'm trying to keep it broad. So Turkey has its own consortium of slash ex-Free Syrian Army groups. members, and frankly, just mercenaries that they have built over time, known as the Syrian National Army.