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A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 9 February 2018
Syrian rebels seek relevance by joining Turkey's offensive

their guns against Kurdish they'll gain credibility to be
forces. taken seriously in the court
It is a project that primary of international opinion
serves Ankara's national and leverage to use in any
security interest: uprooting future negotiations over
the Kurdish YPG from terri- Syria's future.
tories it controls along the "I tell myself that Olive
border. But in return, the Branch is going to be the
alliance gives the veteran start of restoring the revolu-
armed opposition — which tion to the way it was," said
controls only small patches Raslan.
of territory, most of it under If Olive Branch successfully
threat — an opportunity to uproots the Kurdish militia
hold new ground and a for- from the area, the Syrian
eign power ready to sup- rebels, with backing from
port them, including with Turkey, would be in charge
vital air forces. of a solid area in the north
It may be a costly gamble of Aleppo province all the
for rebels, who have al- way to the neighboring
ready lost over 100 fight- rebel-held province of Idlib,
ers in battle against the even if Turkey installs an al-
YPG, according to one war lied Kurdish force to admin-
monitoring group. ister Afrin itself.
Ankara says the Turkish- Many of the opposition
Turkey-backed opposition fighters of the Free Syrian Army secure a checkpoint at the village of led campaign, dubbed members have been fight-
Maarin, on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Azaz, Syria. Beaten by the government and Operation Olive Branch, is ing alongside Turkey since
squeezed by al-Qaida, many of Syria's rebels have put themselves under Turkey's wing to battle
Kurdish forces, trying to find a path back to relevance in Syria's messy and multi-sided civil war. aimed at establishing a so- 2016 when Turkish forces
(AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) called security zone that first pushed into northern
would push the Kurdish YPG Syria to drive back IS and
By PHILIP ISSA alongside Turkey against They've been beaten by about 30 kilometers from contain Kurdish expansion.
SARAH EL DEEB Kurdish self-rule in north the government, betrayed their border. The Turkish- For many of the participat-
BEIRUT (AP) — Col. Moataz Syria. by jihadists and al-Qaida, backed forces have been ing groups, their function
Raslan once flew MiG jets After seven years of war, abandoned by the U.S. battling to try to capture is reduced to serving as a
for the Syrian air force, un- Syrian opposition forces are and routed by the Islamic the town of Afrin from the “foreign legion” for Turkey,
til he defected to join rebel struggling to stay relevant State group in north Syria. Kurdish fighters. said Heras. According to
ranks fighting to oust Presi- in a country that's been Now in their alliance with The rebels who have joined the Turkish military, at least
dent Bashar Assad. Today, carved up into spheres of Turkey, nearly 10,000 oppo- it hope that by holding and 18 Turkish soldiers have
he is a commander fighting interest by major powers. sition fighters have turned governing that territory, been killed.q
Lebanon:

Contacts met to ease tensions with Israel

By BASSAM HATOUM wall. A flatbed truck carry- plans to build the cement
Associated Press ing giant cement barriers border wall, labeling it as
NAQOURA, Lebanon (AP) was seen at the border as a an “aggression” against its
— Diplomatic contacts are crane lifted cement blocks sovereignty.
underway between Beirut and placed them on the Lebanon and Israel are
and "friendly countries" to border. An Israeli bulldozer technically at war and
ease tensions with Israel was seen excavating at both countries have fought
over a cement wall it is the border line. several wars over the past
building along the border President Michel Aoun decades.
which Lebanon says would tweeted earlier that the Also on Thursday, Aoun re-
encroach on its territory, contacts aim to prevent ceived David Satterfield,
the government said Thurs- Israeli "ambitions" from tak- the U.S. acting assistant
day. ing over Lebanon's land secretary of state, and
Cabinet Minister Pierre Abi and water, adding that American ambassador to
Assi told reporters after a Beirut would confront any Lebanon Elizabeth Rich-
government meeting that Israeli attack. ard. Aoun’s office gave no
top Lebanese officials are Abi Assi quoted Prime Min- further details about the
in contact with the United ister Saad Hariri as telling meeting. Lebanese and
Nations and some coun- the Cabinet that he, along Israeli military officials held
tries that he did not name with Aoun, the parliament an indirect meeting Mon-
to try and decrease ten- speaker and the foreign day to discuss the issues
sions that have escalated minister are conducting in regular U.N.-sponsored
over the construction of the contacts and "we hope talks. Israel has in recent
the wall. they will lead to positive re- days escalated its threats
On Thursday, an Associ- sults." against Lebanon over
ated Press team saw con- On Wednesday, Lebanon’s Lebanon’s invitation for off-
struction workers on the top security body instruct- shore gas exploration bids
Israeli side of the border ed the military to confront on the countries’ maritime
setting up the concrete Israel if it goes ahead with border. q