American activist calls U.S. to support AANES against Turkish attacks
WASHINGTON, U.S. (North Press) – Former chair of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Nadine Maenza said on Wednesday the U.S. should support the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and put a stop to Turkey’s attacks on Northeast Syria.
Maenza told North Press in an exclusive statement, “It is time the U.S. shows leadership” and stands with the AANES against Turkish attacks.
She said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacks civilians, hospitals, and infrastructure facilities in Northeast Syria, which is a war crime, because he knows the U.S. and the international community will take no action as they did in the past.
“It is important for the U.S. to understand every time they allow Turkey to commit war crimes with impunity, Turkey becomes bolder. At some point they will have to stand up to Turkey,” Maenza said.
Turkey’s actions interfere with U.S. goals for the region whereas the AANES supports those goals, which are the enduring defeat of ISIS, increased humanitarian support, and de-escalation, according to Maenza.
“While the Syrian Democratic Forces were defeating the ISIS Caliphate with support from the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, they empowered the residents to build democratic self-governance that carefully includes all ethnicities and religions, with half the leaders being women,” she explained.
The AANES filled the governance and security gaps that would otherwise be filled by islamists, Iranian militias, and other bad actors if it is destroyed by Turkey, she said.
Maenza further stressed that Erdogan hates this project on Turkey’s borders because “it is an inspiration to the Kurds in Turkey and throughout the region.”
“Turkey can pretend this it is ‘fighting the PKK,’ but the facts say otherwise,” she said adding that the U.S. has so many ways that “can deter Turkey’s illegal behavior diplomatically and economically,” she said
By Hadeel Oueiss