Russia followed the lead of Western powers on September 30 and began direct military intervention in Syria 鈥 using the same form (air strikes) and the same declared enemy, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Russia's campaign, aimed to shore up the beleaguered regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, will also target the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front and other armed groups fighting the dictatorship.
Russia's entry into the fray has dramatically heightened tensions between Russia and the West and further complicated the already confused, multi-sided conflict in Syria.
Women's Protection Units (YPJ)
Turkey has 鈥渏oined the war against ISIS鈥, according to US politicians and the corporate media after a July 23 deal between the US and the Turkish government. The deal gives US war planes and drones access to Turkey's Incirlik airbase from which to conduct air strikes in Syria and Iraq.
YPJ fighters defending Koban锚, June 26. Photo: ypgrojava.com.
The 鈥淚slamic State鈥 (IS) terror group attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France have grabbed global attention and condemnation. But the group's attack on Kobane in Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan) 鈥 and the fierce resistance 鈥 has been largely ignored.
The Kurdish town of Kobane in northern Syria was attacked on June 25 by forces from the self-styled Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, which crossed from Turkey. This was the first significant IS attack on the town since a five-month siege was repulsed in January.
The attack appears to be a Turkish-backed response to recent military gains made by the Kurdish-led forces of the Women's Defence Units (YPJ) and People's Defence Units (YPG).
Turkish-backed terrorists have massacred civilians in Koban锚. Photo: Kurdish Resistance & Liberation/Facebook.
The following speech was delivered on behalf of the Kurdish Women鈥檚 Movement by Seval Ulus to the International Women鈥檚 Day rally in Melbourne on March 8.
* * *
On the anniversary of the March 8, International Women鈥檚 Day, women around the world are continuing to resist against the patriarchal system.
Over a hundred years ago working women stood up against an oppressive system that has raged for thousands of years. This March, their struggle is still echoing on the streets of the world. The resistance against inequality, sexism and violence is growing by the day.
The self-styled Islamic State (IS) may be one of the few unifying forces in the Middle East.
A range of mutually antagonistic regional and global powers and non-state groups have joined the fight against them. While Western politicians鈥 pronouncements that the IS has declared war on the world are clich茅d, they are echoed by the group鈥檚 own statements.
The world has started looking at Kobane and the other two liberated cantons of what the Kurds call Rojava (Western, or Syrian, Kurdistan) since the resistance in Kobane liberated the town from the brutal Islamic State (IS) forces.
Their success is not good news for Turkish President Recip Tayyep Erdogan, achieving a symbolic victory against an underhanded ploy by Turkey鈥檚 regime to crush Kurdish resistance in Syria and weaken the Kurdish resistance against the Turkish state.
After a fierce struggle lasting 134 days, mainly Kurdish fighters belonging to the Peoples Defence Units (YPG) and Womens Defence Units (YPJ) finally freed the town of Kobane on January 26 from attackers belonging to the terrorist group that calls itself the Islamic State (IS). Kobane remains intact 鈥 although, only just.
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