BLOG, INTERNATIONAL

THE ROJAVA REVOLUTION IN SYRIA

JANUARY 6, 2015 AWSM MEMBER 2 COMMENTS

From the chaos of the Syrian Revolution the existence of a radical experiment in democracy has slowly emerged. The project in Rojava, in the north of Syria, has been instigated by the Democratic Union Party (the PYD) and its militias the People’s Protection Units (The YPG), and the all-female Women’s Protection Units (The YPJ), in alliance with the Turkish Kurdistan Workers’ Party (the PKK). The PKK itself appears to have experienced its own (r)evolution, with the conversion of its leader Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned by the Turks since 1999, away from the desire to create a Kurdish State and instead adopting an idea of “libertarian municipalism” inspired by social ecologist Murray Bookchin. Instead of a highly centralised state, which was once its aim, the PKK now claims that it sees its aims for the Kurds to be living in free, self-governing communities, based on direct democracy and paying no heed to national borders.[i]

Three non-contiguous autonomous areas or cantons, Efrin, Cizire, and Kobane, have been set up. In every canton there exists a Legislative Assembly, an Executive Assembly, a Constitutional Assembly, and Regional Assemblies, as proscribed under a written collective political structure (the Social Contract).[ii] Delegates to the Assemblies are elected with an ethnic balance reflecting the population of the area, and guaranteeing a 40 per cent female presence, and a model of co-presidency means each political entity always has both a female and a male president.

After visiting the area in December 2014, Janet Biehl described how power flows from the bottom upwards in this system through several tiers, namely the neighbourhood, district, city, and canton. All levels are made up of delegates whose role is only to convey the wishes of the people to the next level up.[iii] Saleh Muslim Mohamed, co-president of the PYD, has described how this system is leading to the education and politicising of the people, “You have to reject the idea that you have to wait for some leader to come and tell the people what to do,” he explains, “and instead learn to exercise self-rule as a collective practice…The people themselves educate each other. When you put 10 people together and ask them for a solution to a problem or propose them a question, they collectively look for an answer. I believe in this way they will find the right one. This collective discussion will make them politicised.”[iv]

“Free Kurds do not recognize borders”. Image from http://roarmag.org/2014/07/rojava-autonomy-syrian-kurds/

Some anarchists have dismissed the experiment as merely another statist project creating a new ruling class and government. The link with the PKK in particular has meant that the situation has been problematic for some; for example, the Anarchist Federation has criticised Ocalan’s Stalinist past and doubted his commitment to radical democracy, and anti-capitalist ideas.[v] Also, they point out the negative aspects of a planned dual structure which would see the assemblies running alongside a parliament based along western democratic lines.

Other commentators though, notably the anarchist anthropologist David Graeber, have been more accepting of the project, and argued that it is revolutionary and offering an example to an alternative way of organising the world.[vi]   There is also a viewpoint that while the Rojavan project may not be anarchist, it is worthy of support for it’s democratic confederalism opens up space for further changes, and could be inspiring for rebels elsewhere.[vii]

This is an incredibly brief overview of a situation that has generated a huge amount of words over the last few weeks. Arguments have been flowing back and forth over the question of whether anarchists should be supportive of the Rojava project. For those interested, the resources below may help shed some light on the various discussions and points of view.

Further reading:

About

Useful article describing the workings of the democratic confederalism of Rojava:

• http://new-compass.net/articles/revolution-rojava

Regular news from the Revolution in Rojava and Wider Kurdistan:

• http://rojavareport.wordpress.com

A link to a book length examination of Rojava based around interviews by members of a solidarity group who briefly visited the area in 2011, which, while being clearly from a perspective sympathetic to the PKK, provide thought provoking glimpses into the practical implementation of a new left vision:

• http://new-compass.net/publications/democratic-autonomy-north-kurdistan

A couple of useful articles giving an overview and explanation of the adoption of Bookchin’s ideas by the PKK under Ocalan’s direction and a brief sketch of their implementation in Rojava:

• http://roarmag.org/2014/07/rojava-autonomy-syrian-kurds/
• http://roarmag.org/2014/08/pkk-kurdish-struggle-autonomy/

 Local anarchist perspective

An interview with the Kurdish Anarchist Forum:

• http://www.indymedia.org.nz/articles/1410

The interview can also be found in issue 12 of Imminent Rebellion:

• http://www.rebelpress.org.nz/publications/imminent-rebellion-12

 Anarchists supporting the project

An interview with David Graeber, the anarchist anthropologist, championing the Rojava project:

• https://zcomm.org/znetarticle/no-this-is-a-genuine-revolution/

More from Graeber with his examples of how he sees the Rojava revolution as being anti-capitalist:

• http://nicolasphebus.tumblr.com/post/106580014578/some-concrete-examples-of-how-the-rojav

An ‘Anarchist Communist’ reply to the Workers Solidarity Alliance (WSA) article below:

• http://www.anarkismo.net/article/27540

Anarchists critical of the project

An article casting aspersions on the true revolutionary nature of the Rojava situation:

• http://www.servetdusmani.org/rojava-fantasies-and-realities/

A critical article recently published on the Ideas and Action website of the North America-based Workers Solidarity Alliance (WSA):

• http://ideasandaction.info/2014/10/rojava-anarcho-syndicalist-perspective/

Various articles on Rojava, OcalanBookchin and Ocalan, by Janet Biel, including useful sociological and historical background:

• http://www.biehlonbookchin.com
• http://new-compass.net/article/kurdish-communalism

 Further reading:

If you appetite is whetted then heaps more resources are listed here:

• http://anarchism.pageabode.com/andrewnflood/resources-rojava-revolution-kurdistan-syria
• http://cooperativa.cat/en/rojava-building-a-better-world/(including video)

References:

[i] https://libcom.org/news/rojava-people’s-war-not-class-war-25122014 [Last accessed 06/01/2014]

[ii] http://civiroglu.net/the-constitution-of-the-rojava-cantons/ [Last accessed 06/01/2014]

[iii] http://www.biehlonbookchin.com/poor-in-means/ [Last accessed 06/01/2014]

[iv] In an interview with Green Left Weeklyhttps://www.greenleft.org.au/node/57795 [Last accessed 06/01/2014]

[v] http://www.afed.org.uk/blog/international/435-anarchist-federation-statement-on-rojava-december-2014.html [Last accessed 06/01/2014]

[vi] https://zcomm.org/znetarticle/no-this-is-a-genuine-revolution/[Last accessed 06/01/2014]

[vii] http://www.anarkismo.net/article/27540 [Last accessed 06/01/2014]

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Kobane almost cleared of ISIS

January 2015, The YPG and YPJ has been battling ISIS for Months now. At first Turkey was blocking Kurds from bringing in men and material to fight ISIS. ISIS never gained full control of the city. They are still in good defensive positions on Eastern Kobane. The American air strikes may have helped some but without the Kurdish forces on the ground Kobane would now be in ISIS hands and the nut cases would be killing civilians for minor crimes or smoking cigarettes? Daesh is the scum of the earth,

This was done without the #FSA (who are not one militia but many and ever changing groups)

Now even before the battle for #Kobane is over the Kurds in Iraq have started to advance on ISIS forces in Mosul.

Hopefully we can get "Syrian" some boots on the ground to dislodge ISIS from Raqqa. 

U.S. to begin training more rebels in Syria But does the math add up?

And so the dance continues. Obama continues to court Militant Rebel groups is Syria. There was over 40 rebel groups in Aleppo in 2013. There is a lot less now, approx. 20. The rebel groups range from neighborhood gang like groups with a few hundred fighting men, to groups like al Nusra with approx 5-7k fighters. However these groups also put locals on the payroll. Jobs like lobbing grenades at regime forces, to selling a child to be used as a suicide bomber (families are often forced or coerced/threatened and the children are as young as 8 or 9, many of the children are orphans), also paying some citizens for intel on who may not be loyal to the terrorist,s who have taken control of their town, and payment for the military needs to eat and drink, and so on.  This can make a force 2 - 3 times its core grouping. ISIS numbers are 30k + depending on way you look at who is a militant, or on the payroll, just trying to buy bread.

Assad/Regime Forces are 200-400k regularly military. The Assad Regime has popular support in regime held areas, and areas taken back from the rebels. 80-90% popularity/support in areas that have seen very little conflict, to 70-80% in areas taken back from rebels. 

Military service age and obligation (this data from CIA factbook):
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve; re-enlistment obligation 5 years, with retirement after 15 years or age 40 (enlisted) or 20 years or age 45 (NCOs) (2012)

Looks like a kinda sweet deal retirement at age 40-45 after only 15 - 20 years of service in the military. Now if you have been in the Military for even 5 years, if the Assad Regime fails you lose pensions, and job and may become a political prisoner. Hell I would fight for that alone.

But we know the real reason Syrians are fighting is they want to remain a Secular Society and Nation. Every rebel group is Sunni Arab (many Wahhabi) in their top military/fighting ranks). It does not take a genius to see why a total of 50-60k rebels (including all groups ISIS, al nusra, FSA, etc.) yet no central organized control or leadership between those 20 rebel groups....... .......will not likely win against a Regime force of 400k and another 200k + Civilian Guards (Men and Women) that have local backing. As well as Pro-Regime militias like Shabiha and  Jaysh al-Sha'bi maybe another 5-20k. This is why I hope The Syrian Kurds sign pacts with the Regime, before the groups like ISIS get crushed into only hundreds of militants on the hide or run. - Ian Bach

"CNN)The U.S. military will deploy 400 trainers and hundreds more troops in a train-and-equip mission for Syrian rebel forces, the Pentagon said Friday.

The American troops will be deployed starting in early spring on six- to eight-week missions in three countries -- Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia -- as part of the Obama administration's plan to expand training for moderate Syrian rebels."

Cheers to #twitterkurds, and all those who fight for the rule of secular law.

Lets fight the real enemies of Syria which include #daesh, #daash, #IS, #ISIS, and influential donors and backers of the War on Syria from Turkey, Qatar, al Jazzera, the Wahhabis, Saudi arabia, Kuwait and elsewhere.

U.S. to begin training more rebels in Syria But does the math add up?

And so the dance continues. Obama continues to court Militant Rebel groups is Syria. There was over 40 rebel groups in Aleppo in 2013. There is a lot less now, approx. 20. The rebel groups range from neighborhood gang like groups with a few hundred fighting men, to groups like al Nusra with approx 5-7k fighters. However these groups also put locals on the payroll. Jobs like lobbing grenades at regime forces, to selling a child to be used as a suicide bomber (families are often forced or coerced/threatened and the children are as young as 8 or 9, many of the children are orphans), also paying some citizens for intel on who may not be loyal to the terrorist,s who have taken control of their town, and payment for the military needs to eat and drink, and so on.  This can make a force 2 - 3 times its core grouping. ISIS numbers are 30k + depending on way you look at who is a militant, or on the payroll, just trying to buy bread.

Assad/Regime Forces are 200-400k regularly military. The Assad Regime has popular support in regime held areas, and areas taken back from the rebels. 80-90% popularity/support in areas that have seen very little conflict, to 70-80% in areas taken back from rebels. 

Military service age and obligation (this data from CIA factbook):
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve; re-enlistment obligation 5 years, with retirement after 15 years or age 40 (enlisted) or 20 years or age 45 (NCOs) (2012)

Looks like a kinda sweet deal retirement at age 40-45 after only 15 - 20 years of service in the military. Now if you have been in the Military for even 5 years, if the Assad Regime fails you lose pensions, and job and may become a political prisoner. Hell I would fight for that alone.

But we know the real reason Syrians are fighting is they want to remain a Secular Society and Nation. Every rebel group is Sunni Arab (many Wahhabi) in their top military/fighting ranks). It does not take a genius to see why a total of 50-60k rebels (including all groups ISIS, al nusra, FSA, etc.) yet no central organized control or leadership between those 20 rebel groups....... .......will not likely win against a Regime force of 400k and another 200k + Civilian Guards (Men and Women) that have local backing. As well as Pro-Regime militias like Shabiha and  Jaysh al-Sha'bi maybe another 5-20k. This is why I hope The Syrian Kurds sign pacts with the Regime, before the groups like ISIS get crushed into only hundreds of militants on the hide or run. - Ian Bach

"CNN)The U.S. military will deploy 400 trainers and hundreds more troops in a train-and-equip mission for Syrian rebel forces, the Pentagon said Friday.

The American troops will be deployed starting in early spring on six- to eight-week missions in three countries -- Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia -- as part of the Obama administration's plan to expand training for moderate Syrian rebels."

Cheers to #twitterkurds, and all those who fight for the rule of secular law.

Lets fight the real enemies of Syria which include #daesh, #daash, #IS, #ISIS, and influential donors and backers of the War on Syria from Turkey, Qatar, al Jazzera, the Wahhabis, Saudi arabia, Kuwait and elsewhere.

INSIDE KOBANI 25 min Video on Front lines

I love this video!
Always great to see the Brave Kurds who seem to be the only people fighting ISIS. What we need now is western backing for the Kurds.

#kobani under siege by #ISIS terrorists #Daesh and #kobane defenders the #YPG and #YPJ barve #Kurds Kurdistan Kurdish Nation. Syrian town ayn al-Arab, Syria on #Turkey boarder.

ISIS FACING DEADLY BACKLASH IN SYRIA?

The terror group ISIS has reportedly lost its control of the majority of Kobani, a border town in northern Syria which the militants have fought regional Kurdish forces over for months, according to an activist group and a Kurdish official.

Kurdish leader Idriss Nassan told the Associated Press that, with the help of U.S. and allied airstrikes, his fighters had wrested control of 80 percent of Kobani, and all of the key central zone where the police and other agencies are based.

“The advance has become faster and the airstrikes are more intense,” he told the AP, adding that his fighters could control the whole city “hopefully within days.”

Meanwhile, further south in ISIS’ stronghold of Deir Ezzor province, at least three members of the group have been attacked in recent days under circumstances which suggest possible vigilantes.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group which relies on information from an extensive network of activists and informants on the ground in Syria, the decapitated body of one of the top figures in ISIS’ pseudo police force was found in the town of al-Mayadeen, in rural Deir Ezzor province. His body bore signs of torture.

“We do not know whether Islamic State killed him or whether it was local people or other fighters,” the Observatory’s Rami Abdulrahman told the Reuters news agency, using ISIS’ own name for the group.

Also in al-Mayadeen, another ISIS fighter was run over in an apparent deliberate hit and run attack, leaving him in critical condition. A third member of the group was attacked by two masked men on a motorcycle. He was repeatedly beaten with a metal stick on the head and sustained life-threatening injuries.

The rudimentary nature of the attacks in al-Mayadeen suggest they may not have been carried out by rival Syrian rebel groups, or ISIS itself, which has frequently executed its own members accused of betraying the group.

(Read the rest of the Article here)

#kobane #kobani #YPG #YPJ #aynalarab #syria

THE A FORCE AND THE “THE MAGIC GANG”

In January 1941, General Wavell, commander of British forces in north Africa, created a unit called A Force, which was dedicated to counter-intelligence and deception. By this stage, deception was playing a major part in the war effort, following Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s maxim that ‘in war, truth should be accompanied by a bodyguard of lies’. In some cases there would be a concerted effort to mislead the enemy with a single convincing deception; in others, the aim would be to create confusion by suggesting a range of plausible alternatives.

http://ianbachusa.wordpress.com/2007/04/21/the-a-force-and-the-the-magic-gang/

Counterinsurgency Resources - New Pages at my Site

I have started a page for COIN Resources. If anyone has some additional sources please leave comment on that page, Thanks. - Ian Bach


Ian Bach - Counter Insurgency Blog: Counterinsurgency Resources: Twenty-Eight Articles: Fundamentals of Company-Level Counterinsurgency by Dr. David Kilcullen, Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army Edito...CLICK HERE for the NEW PAGES & RESOURCES




Photo is David Kicullen - Aussie COIN EXPERT

I will be adding many resources of what COIN Strategies that I see being implemented and ones that need to be implemented. Lots of stuff on #Kobani, #Kobane, #aynalarab, #aynalislam, #YPG, #IS, #ISIS, #ISIL, #YPJ, #yezedi, #COIN, #counterinsurgency,

ISIS claims they captured Gill Rosenberg the girl from Israel who went to fight with the YPG

Gill Rosenberg

7 hrs ·

"Guys, I'm totally safe and secure. I don't have Internet access or any communication devices with me for my safety and security. I can't reply regularly and only happened to have a chance to log in and see these buklshit news stories. Ignore the reports I've been captured. Yalla, Acharai!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She has set up a crowd funding site to raise $5,000

http://www.gofundme.com/i30ab0

https://www.facebook.com/gila.rosenberg.7/posts/10152822320470837

Actually if you want to go fight with Peshmerga / YPG / Kurds you are suppose to bring $5,000 with you.
But $5,000 does not go far even in Kurdistan. Bullet proof vests and gear is no doubt very expensive. More money = safety. 

I saw a lot of ISIS followers posting crap and gore at her facebook page at this link here
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=881589645198649&set=p.881589645198649&type=1

If you are over 18 and gore does not make you freak out then please go to that post 
click on the post time  in a main post to havea direct link to a post
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=881589645198649&set=p.881589645198649&type=1&permPage=1

Here is a pic of the post that has the badguys who infiltrated her facebook page.

DO NOT CONTACT, FRIEND, or comment/ague with idiots like this in facebook or else where. They WILL harass you and everyone on  your friends list and friends of your friends. These Nuts have too much time on their hands and hate for the whole world and selfs.

So what can you do to help?

check next pic

So here i one simple easy thing to do

harass and corrupt their online activities.

Report images and text that are harassing or violent or pictures of same. pcitures of gore is not allowed on most web sites like facebook, blogger, yahoo, and all the rest.

click the picture or text. the little time stamp gives u direct link if u want to report it directly to a host Facebook or any other.

for this excessive just click the photo

I blackened out the decapitated head, this is the kind of nonsense we are confronted with.

people who post this kind of stuff also are the ones posting and re-posting the videos that glamorize ISIS. so reporting  their behaviors can disrupt their lives a little at least. 

next
Click on the "options" link, then follow prompts / questions.
for this photo it falls under blood and gore / violence

Many web services will often review not only the picture or text post or comment, they often review the users behavior and activities and they may choose to totally delete the members account. Wow score one for the good guys. I know it seems like you are many miles from the battle front. But the truth is while we may control the airspace, the enemy controls the airwaves. In other words the enemy is winning in the war of propaganda.

end