Clinton favors arming Kurds over pleasing Turkey

LOS ANGELES, United States (Kurdistan 24) – WikiLeaks’ published emails of Democrat Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton prove she believes arming Kurds is more important than pleasing Turkey.

When Clinton was asked during the presidential debate about Obama’s weak policies in Syria, she responded by saying she was not an advisor then, but the leaked emails prove otherwise.

“I was gone” from the administration, Clinton said but her emails to presidential counselor John Podesta on Aug. 17, 2014, reveal Clinton gave the White House a nine-point plan for defeating the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq.

Hacked emails prove Clinton advised the White House to rely on Peshmerga fighters of the Kurdistan Regional Government to fight IS.

“If we provide advisers and planners, as well as increased close air support for the Peshmerga, these soldiers can defeat [IS],” she wrote.

However, Washington hesitated to accept the recommendation because of the NATO ally’s opposition.

Moreover, Clinton believes fighting IS is more important than pleasing Turkey.

Thus, she recommended providing the Kurds with heavy weapons such as artillery and armored vehicles to fight the insurgent group.

“The current situation in Iraq, not to mention the political environment in Turkey, makes this policy obsolete,” she told Podesta, referring to the US agreement with Turkey not to arm the Kurds.

Ankara is concerned that after IS is defeated Kurds would use the weapons to fight Turkey.

Mr. Phillips said Clinton’s views “correctly pointed to the importance of working with Kurdish militias to defeat [IS], but she glossed over or underestimated the difficulties of working with Kurdish militias inside Syria because of Turkish opposition.”

Beginning in August 2008, 2014, the US-led anti-IS coalition expanded airstrikes to diminish the extremists in Iraq and Syria.

The civil war in Syria that started in 2011 has displaced millions and killed thousands of civilians.

Russia and Iran have been involved in the Syrian war defending its president Bashar Al-Assad.

Additionally, Obama accused Putin of deepening the war and suffering.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany