I have been posting similar views to the Seymour Hearsh revelations for the past 18 months ..... namely that the US is trying to retain influence with the Saudi/Gulf State/Turkish axis ....... while opposing those forces on the ground ....... while politically opposing the Russia/Iran/Regime axis ....... while supporting some of the same militias supported by the Russia/Iran/regime axis in Syria......... but also wooing and supporting the semi pro Turkish Kurdistan Regional Government and so on.
By necessity, the US has had a foot in all doors. I would be surprised if they did not and I suspect that Obama is very much accross the game. I suspect Hersh is wrong on that count. Russia is playing a very similar 2 sided game ....... but as observers said from the outset the conflict situation is like an all in bar room fight.
Hersch is absolutely correct with regards to the Turkish Government stuffing up the US policy and strategy (I would add to the advantage of the Russia/Iran axis ..... and at the expense of Turkish national cohesion and civil society). As I see it Erdogan has destroyed his own country ..... noting also that the Baghdad Regime is trying to woo the PKK to offset the Turkish/US /EU support of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Thanks to Erdogan's gross stupidity, Khamenei would appear has had the US agenda in a state of chess board "check" for 12 months now. It could have been different but it is as it is. That said we won't be seeing any "check mate" any time soon BECAUSE Russia and the US need each other to get out of the mess.
The apparent spanner in the works at the moment is the PKK (who are now expected to set up a liaison office in Baghdad as a recognised Turkish opposition party) . But what trumps what (no reference to Donald Trump in this space)?? While the PKK talks about a neo Marxist ideology of democratic autonomous administration ..... when push comes to shove, Kurdish nationalism sits just underneath the surface as is does for the Kurdistan Regional Government and its political opposition and the HDP Party in Turkey. So the wheel remains in spin.
As for Daesh they are dead men walking .... or sort of. I agree with the view that Daesh may dissipate upon the fall of Mosul and Raqqah ...... but dangerously that may see their commanders swear allegiance to the Turkish supported Jabat al Nusra and Ahrar al Sham. As for Assad .... Russia and Iran keep him for the moment to retain some battlefield cohegence but that's it. Nations are not loyal to any non citizen but rather to their own perceived national interests (and of course the interests of their leaders).
In Syria there is a a stalemate in many areas but the Kurds are preparing to cut off Raqqah from Northern while I expect that the Regime and Hezbollah to make a similar co-ordinated move from the South. Why? Neither want Daesh commanders to swear allegiance to the Turkish fed militias UNTIL they have the territory around Raqqah.
