The tragic heroes of the anti-IS war (The Kurds face more danger now, not less!)

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 The tragic heroes of the anti-IS war (The Kurds face more danger now, not less!)

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• Physically, I.S. is over : By liberating Baghouz in E. Syria, the Islamic State was physically rooted out. Many IS terrorists surrendered, and many ran away into the deserts of Iraq and Syria. The war against the terrorist insurgency claimed a big victory, though temporary.
• Present status of I.S. : It has sympathisers, active members, sleeper cells across West Asia. Its "branches" are in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Nigeria and Libya. All this was ongoing for a long time, culminating at its peak in 2014 in the Caliphate announced by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Great Mosque of al-Nuri, Mosul, Iraq).
• The role of US : Of the many who fought the IS, the US led with multiple air-strikes across various countries. Iran helped directly in Iraq and indirectly in Syria (Iran-trained Shia militia against the IS).
• How Syrian regime contributed : Although Bashar al-Assad govt. had no full global recognition, it did not quit (despite Obama wanting it) and presented a continuous challenge to the IS in Syria - recapturing Palmyra city twice. A collapse of Assad regime would have helped IS take Damascus, like Taliban did with Kabul in 1996 (civil war and collapse of central authority).
• Syrian Kurdish fighters : They fought the worst battles against IS. The Kurdish militia (People's Protection Units - YPG) first won Kobane town on Turkish border, and came into the centre of this complex war. The US saw this as the first major victory on ground (despite all the air raids).
• New complications : Sadly, Turkey and US have designated the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) inside Turkey as terrorists. And the YPG is the armed wing of YPD (Democratic Union Party), in control of Syrian Kurdish region. And both YPD and YPG are linked to PKK.
• Turkey upset : It does not like the stronger Syrian Kurdistan, as that can make PKK stronger. So it's upset with the US also. 
• Hence, the SDF : The US formed Syrian Democratic Forces coalition led by YPG, stating that it's a fight against the IS. Really speaking, SDF was the force of Syrian Kurdistan. It destroyed the IS Caliphate.
• Heroes at risk : Despite their heroic role in crushing the IS, the Kurds may now face more aggression from Turkey. It wants to build a buffer between its border and Syrian Kurdistan. Iran too is wary of the Iranian Kurds. It is doing a joint operation against the PKK with Turkey!
• Surrounded by enemies : Syria too wants entire territory back (held by Kurdish Party in Syrian Kurdistan), so Kurds are in real danger. US is the only friend, and it is also withdrawing. A tragic fate awaits the heroes.
• Summary : The Syrian Kurds who fought bitter fights with the Islamic Caliphate and defeated them, may be in mortal danger themselves now as their only friend America is leaving.

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