US Voices Concern over Intra-Kurdish Tension in Northeastern Syria

An American military vehicle seen in the Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, April 20, 2022. (AFP)
An American military vehicle seen in the Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, April 20, 2022. (AFP)
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US Voices Concern over Intra-Kurdish Tension in Northeastern Syria

An American military vehicle seen in the Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, April 20, 2022. (AFP)
An American military vehicle seen in the Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, April 20, 2022. (AFP)

The US Embassy in Syria voiced its concern over the recent attacks on the Kurdish National Council (KNC) offices in northeast Syria.

“The United States is deeply concerned by the recent attacks on several KNC offices in northeast Syria,” the embassy said in a statement on Friday.

“Intimidation and violence have no place in political discourse, and we urge all parties to engage peacefully in pursuit of resolutions that benefit all concerned,” it added.

In response, the General Council of the Syrian Democratic Union Party denied responsibility for the attack.

In a statement, the council said the Turkish raid on the strongholds of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Qandil Mountains of the Kurdistan region of Iraq fell within “the comprehensive attack on our people and freedom fighters by the Turkish fascism.”

It continued: “Instead of [the Kurdish Council] standing up against this policy of genocide, it accuses our party of burning its offices…”

The party also pointed to the violations committed by the pro-Turkish Syrian armed factions in the areas of Turkish influence in northern Syria.

“The [Kurdish Council] has not yet dared to make a statement against the Turkish occupation… and is still affiliated to the Syrian coalition that practices a policy of extermination against our people in Afrin and Ras al-Ain (Sarkani)…,” according to the statement.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that an Iranian commander, along with other leaders and members of Iranian-backed militias, met with supporters of the state security service and elders of the Tayih tribe in Al-Qamishli city in Al-Hasakah countryside.

According to Observatory sources, the meeting discussed the establishment of a military council under the supervision of Iranian advisers in order to confront the deployment of American and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the areas east of the Euphrates.

The rights monitor noted that the meeting was held as a part of Iranian efforts to expand in Syria and lure regime affiliates to work for them, with Russia being preoccupied with its war in Ukraine.

Separately, the local Ein al-Euphrates Network said a number of fighters of the Russian Wagner militia arrived in the Abu Rasin district, located in the far north of al-Hasakah governorate, amid an escalation of Turkish attacks in the area.

The network indicated that the SDF General Command demanded that the Russian forces deployed in al-Hasakah reinforce their positions, following attacks by Turkish drones on SDF positions and military checkpoints.



Palestinian President Abbas Appoints New Deputy in Major Step in Naming Successor

Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, gestures during an interview with The Associate Press at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 13, 2022. (AP)
Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, gestures during an interview with The Associate Press at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 13, 2022. (AP)
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Palestinian President Abbas Appoints New Deputy in Major Step in Naming Successor

Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, gestures during an interview with The Associate Press at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 13, 2022. (AP)
Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, gestures during an interview with The Associate Press at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 13, 2022. (AP)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday named a veteran aide and confidant as his new vice president. It’s a major step by the aging leader to designate a successor.

The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization does not guarantee he will be the next Palestinian president. But it makes him the front-runner among longtime politicians in the dominant Fatah party who hope to succeed the 89-year-old Abbas.

Abbas hopes to play a major role in postwar Gaza. He has been under pressure from Western and Arab allies to rehabilitate the Palestinian Authority, which has limited autonomy in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.  

The PLO is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people and oversees the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Abbas has led both entities for two decades.