Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

Christiane Amanour interviewed Turkish Prime-Minister Davutoğlu about Turkey's plans to intervene on the ground. He reiterated previous Turkish government statements that this is only possible as part of a comprehensive strategy to overthrow the Assad regime:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/06/world ... interview/

Personally, I wouldn't hold your breath. The Turkish regime has arranged for this vote to be passed through parliament to give it a strong bargaining chip.

[Tim Drayton]

All these toys, but they can't stop Kobane from falling. Either it is technically impossible to fight a land force in this way from the air, or else they want Kobane to fall into ISIL's hands.

Let's hope not because if Kobane Falls, we will see one of the biggest Genocides in many years against the Kurds.

The coalition has been very surgical for the moment, but if people are about to be openly slaughtered then things might change.

Tim, I have no doubt that ISIS will be defeated, but in Syria, it's going to take time, unless they deploy troops. Methinks the calls for boots on the ground will grow louder and louder.

Reports are confused but it seems to have already fallen. The Kurdish resistance fighters had a last-stage plan ready to take these savages on in a street battle within the town, so perhaps this is going on already.

It is too late now, but while ISIL forces were advancing on Kobane, how hard would it have been to identify them and pound them from the air and stop what is probably going to be a massacre from taking place? Unless, of course, there are other calculations involved that we don't know about and stopping these savages is not the main goal.

There are already reports of about 900 people in Kurdish areas captured by ISIL on their way to Kobane having been taken away, suspected of being resistance supporters, and nothing is known of their fate, so this does not bode well for those now trying to defend their town.

[Tim Drayton]

From the BBC. Perhaps there is still hope. The final resistance plan is proving to be effective. And there are some reports of airstrikes on the savages’ positions. If I believed in God, I would pray for these people.

In the latest clashes, the UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said IS had crossed into a southern district of Kobane, taking over many buildings.

However, the Observatory said heavy fighting had forced IS to pull back from the eastern districts its fighters had entered on Monday evening. It also suggested many IS fighters had been killed in an ambush by Syrian Kurdish fighters.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29517493

[Tim Drayton]

US government spokesperson Jen Psaki has replied to Davutoğlu, saying their position has not changed and the target at the moment must be ISIL.

[Paphitis]

All these toys, but they can't stop Kobane from falling. Either it is technically impossible to fight a land force in this way from the air, or else they want Kobane to fall into ISIL's hands.

Let's hope not because if Kobane Falls, we will see one of the biggest Genocides in many years against the Kurds.

The coalition has been very surgical for the moment, but if people are about to be openly slaughtered then things might change.

Tim, I have no doubt that ISIS will be defeated, but in Syria, it's going to take time, unless they deploy troops. Methinks the calls for boots on the ground will grow louder and louder.

Reports are confused but it seems to have already fallen. The Kurdish resistance fighters had a last-stage plan ready to take these savages on in a street battle within the town, so perhaps this is going on already.

It is too late now, but while ISIL forces were advancing on Kobane, how hard would it have been to identify them and pound them from the air and stop what is probably going to be a massacre from taking place? Unless, of course, there are other calculations involved that we don't know about and stopping these savages is not the main goal.

There are already reports of about 900 people in Kurdish areas captured by ISIL on their way to Kobane having been taken away, suspected of being resistance supporters, and nothing is known of their fate, so this does not bode well for those now trying to defend their town.

If they are in close proximity then it is difficult because the Kurds will suffer losses.

But what they can do is disrupt their supply routes. Neighbouring towns are difficult too because their would be civilian collateral losses. ISIL will feed on that, and radicalize more people and get stronger.

The country that can stop ISIL dead in its tracks is Turkey, but they do not seem to be interested to do anything. I fear they have their agenda as well, and this may include the total destruction of the Kurds near their border.

The allies have been bombarding ISIl positions, and sometimes quite close to Kobane itself.

If Kobane Falls, then the Kurds (rebels and civilians) will have to retreat into Turkey if they want to stay alive. But what happens to the PKK I have no idea. It won't be pretty that's for sure.

If ISIL start to slaughter of man and his dog, then America might as well pound ISIL in Kobane and hope for the best outcome.

[Tim Drayton]

All these toys, but they can't stop Kobane from falling. Either it is technically impossible to fight a land force in this way from the air, or else they want Kobane to fall into ISIL's hands.

Let's hope not because if Kobane Falls, we will see one of the biggest Genocides in many years against the Kurds.

The coalition has been very surgical for the moment, but if people are about to be openly slaughtered then things might change.

Tim, I have no doubt that ISIS will be defeated, but in Syria, it's going to take time, unless they deploy troops. Methinks the calls for boots on the ground will grow louder and louder.

Reports are confused but it seems to have already fallen. The Kurdish resistance fighters had a last-stage plan ready to take these savages on in a street battle within the town, so perhaps this is going on already.

It is too late now, but while ISIL forces were advancing on Kobane, how hard would it have been to identify them and pound them from the air and stop what is probably going to be a massacre from taking place? Unless, of course, there are other calculations involved that we don't know about and stopping these savages is not the main goal.

There are already reports of about 900 people in Kurdish areas captured by ISIL on their way to Kobane having been taken away, suspected of being resistance supporters, and nothing is known of their fate, so this does not bode well for those now trying to defend their town.

If they are in close proximity then it is difficult because the Kurds will suffer losses.

But what they can do is disrupt their supply routes. Neighbouring towns are difficult too because their would be civilian collateral losses.

The country that can stop ISIL dead in its tracks is Turkey, but they do not seem to be interested to do anything. I fear they have their agenda as well, and this may include the total destruction of the Kurds near their border.

The allies have been bombarding ISIl positions, and sometimes quite close to Kobane itself.

If Kobane Falls, then the Kurds (rebels and civilians) will have to retreat into Turkey if they want to stay alive. But what happens to the PKK I have no idea. It won't be pretty that's for sure.

I think all the civilians have gone, it is just combatants, but everyone, to the last man and woman, seems to be fighting except for children and the very old. I saw an impressive picture of women fighters in Kobane being drilled with automatic weapons in their hands.

I wonder if Turkey will let them cross over, but I still hope it doesn't come to that.

[Paphitis]

it looks like the terks are not going to help the kurds on the other side of the border. old animosities cannot be papered over it seems and our resident blood thirsty swine will have to wait another time to see bloodshed.

Salih Muslim Muhammad, the leader of the Kurdish opposition in the Syrian Civil War was in Turkey at the weekend trying to win support for Kobane, but he refused to meet the three preconditions before a government delegation would meet him: to disassociate himself from the Assad regime, to refrain from any policy that will threaten the security of Turkey's borders at and not to insist on any kind of autonomous government -so the meting did not take place.

Apparently, the leader of the Kurdish separatist movement in Turkey, Abdullah Öcalan, has said that the ongoing peace process to solve the Kurdish problem in Turkey will end if Kobane falls.

A confused BBC reporter speaking on the ground this morning from the Turkish border overlooking Kobane said the reason Turkey had difficulty stepping in and saving Kobane had to do with the bad blood created during the long Kurdish guerrilla war in Turkey. I say this is nonsense. When will these people see the reality that Erdoğan and his gang are systematically and ruthlessly Islamising a secular country - they are not the "cuddly, moderate Islamists" the Western media portrays them to be. That is why they sympathise with ISIL - because their ultimate goal is the same. It is just ISIL forces people into the Middle Ages overnight and beheads or crucifies anybody who refuses to comply. In Turkey, the AKP is doing it a bit more gradually.

This is why Turkey is sitting on this and just watching. Dirty Bastards.

Good on the Kurds for sticking to their guns and not giving in to the Turkish Blackmail.

Man I hope the Kurds will be OK. I really think the US has a responsibility to protect them.

[Paphitis]

All these toys, but they can't stop Kobane from falling. Either it is technically impossible to fight a land force in this way from the air, or else they want Kobane to fall into ISIL's hands.

Let's hope not because if Kobane Falls, we will see one of the biggest Genocides in many years against the Kurds.

The coalition has been very surgical for the moment, but if people are about to be openly slaughtered then things might change.

Tim, I have no doubt that ISIS will be defeated, but in Syria, it's going to take time, unless they deploy troops. Methinks the calls for boots on the ground will grow louder and louder.

Reports are confused but it seems to have already fallen. The Kurdish resistance fighters had a last-stage plan ready to take these savages on in a street battle within the town, so perhaps this is going on already.

It is too late now, but while ISIL forces were advancing on Kobane, how hard would it have been to identify them and pound them from the air and stop what is probably going to be a massacre from taking place? Unless, of course, there are other calculations involved that we don't know about and stopping these savages is not the main goal.

There are already reports of about 900 people in Kurdish areas captured by ISIL on their way to Kobane having been taken away, suspected of being resistance supporters, and nothing is known of their fate, so this does not bode well for those now trying to defend their town.

If they are in close proximity then it is difficult because the Kurds will suffer losses.

But what they can do is disrupt their supply routes. Neighbouring towns are difficult too because their would be civilian collateral losses.

The country that can stop ISIL dead in its tracks is Turkey, but they do not seem to be interested to do anything. I fear they have their agenda as well, and this may include the total destruction of the Kurds near their border.

The allies have been bombarding ISIl positions, and sometimes quite close to Kobane itself.

If Kobane Falls, then the Kurds (rebels and civilians) will have to retreat into Turkey if they want to stay alive. But what happens to the PKK I have no idea. It won't be pretty that's for sure.

I think all the civilians have gone, it is just combatants, but everyone, to the last man and woman, seems to be fighting except for children and the very old. I saw an impressive picture of women fighters in Kobane being drilled with automatic weapons in their hands.

I wonder if Turkey will let them cross over, but I still hope it doesn't come to that.

They will have to let them. But will they let the PKK cross over? I don't know.

Turkey's intentions are pretty low and disgusting if you ask me.

If all the Kurds get out after Kobane Falls, then the Americans could most certainly pound the entire town.

[Tim Drayton]

The PKK aren't there (as far as I know). They are reportedly fighting along with the peshmerga in northern Iraq, and are apparently giving a good account of themselves.

[Tim Drayton]

There have been serious clashes in Turkey today with protests and counter-protests at news of the savages entering Kobane. At least one person has been killed. Curfews have already been announced for tonight in two provinces with large Kurdish populations (Mardin and Van).