I do marvel at the analyses of Syria…..why?  It is so confusing that whatever someone writes could very well be accurate…..even the most outlandish of scenarios.  I have been doing a lot of research because I know the class I will teach this question will be asked…….be prepared.  (a slogan we all know and love from our younger days)

Moving on.

By now most of the “known universe” (a Dune reference) has seen the dramatic photos of the Russian plane shot down by Turkey….and this will make things a little more messy and a lot more confusing than they are today.

There is more to the story of the downed plane than we are being told……if interested then you may read it for yourself……

Source: The Real Reason for Turkey’s Shoot-Down of the Russian Jet – Antiwar.com Original by — Antiwar.com

Actually you need a flow chart on the wall to keep up with who us fighting who….I would try to explain this situation but I found a cartoon that explains it is fewer words than I would have to use……

Cartoon by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune

That is as accurate as I can get without a lengthy dissertation…..(you are welcome)…….

Now let’s look at the Kurds….the Kurds are our friends and ally in the fight against ISIS in Iraq…..in Syria they are the enemy of Turkey bit still a friend to DC….and since the downing of the Russian plane things are about to get even more touchy……

I read a piece in a Russian newspaper that may or may not be accurate….but if it is true then things have taken a turn….a bad turn……

Moscow isn’t likely to bomb Turkish military facilities, but it has other ways of undermining Ankara’s presence in Syria: Russia is now aiding Kurdish rebels — a group that has been labeled as “terrorists” by Turkey.

The Syrian Kurdish forces (YPG) are considered extremely valuable in the fight against ISIS. They have previously received support from the United States, although western cooperation with the group has been limited in order to avoid ruffling Erdogan’s feathers. But for Russia, upsetting Erdogan is not really an “issue”.

Putin has called on the Assad government and the political wing of the YPG to unite. This has still not happened – at least not officially.

But Syrian Kurdish officials have said they are ready to work with anyone fighting ISIL, and anyone who works for a united, secular and democratic Syria.

This means that Russia will aid the forces of the Kurdish rebels that are fighting against Turkey……Turkey is attacking these forces…..does that not sound like a prescription for escalation?

After all there is a bit of history between Russia and the Kurds……..The Kurds’ growing role in the evolving and turbulent situation prevailing in the Middle East and elsewhere affects the policies of regional and global powers alike. Russia is no exception. In recent years, Moscow has taken steps to develop contacts with Kurdish political movements and establish economic cooperation with Iraqi Kurdistan, where Russian oil and gas companies have set up shop. The February 2013 visit to Russia by Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, dubbed by the Kurdish people as the “first official visit,” served as a significant milestone in the development of political contacts. The visit refreshed the memories of developments dating back more than half a century when the Kurds’ historical leader (and Barzani’s father) Mullah Mustafa Barzani lived in the Soviet Union from 1947 to 1958, where he enjoyed support on a number of fronts.