Russia invites more anti-Assad forces to enter northwestern Syria

Turkey sends even more troops to Idlib

By Craig C. White

On September 17th, 2018 Russia and Turkey agreed to create a demilitarized zone in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib. That means that Russia and Syria are trusting Turkey to remove “radical” Al-Qaeda rebels from Idlib. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that under the deal, all heavy weaponry, including tanks, rocket launch systems and mortar launchers operated by rebel groups would need to be pulled out of the buffer zone by October 10th, 2018. In order to accomplish this task the Turkish Army is sending even more tanks, weapons, and troops into their already fortified positions in Idlib.

So Turkey is sending more troops into northwestern Syria unabated. Turkey is also determining which rebel groups that they consider to be “radical”. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the “moderate opposition” would keep its weapons and the “region will be cleared of radicals”. Turkey would “make additional troop deployments.”

Now this seems to me to be a really bad plan for Syrian President Assad. Russia and the Syrian Army were poised to attack the Al-Qaeda controlled province of Idlib but Instead of removing anti-Assad forces from Idlib, Syria has now agreed to allow even more anti-Assad troops to enter Syria’s northwestern province. Russia has brokered a deal with Turkey to allow the Turkish Army to further infiltrate northwestern Syria in order to remove some Al-Qaeda factions there. The problem is that Turkey is Sunni Muslim and has supported most of these Sunni Al-Qaeda groups. On top of that Turkish President Erdogan announced in public that the “sole reason” why the Turkish Army has entered Syria is to remove Syrian President Assad from power in Damascus. Ali Abdul Karim, Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon, said in an interview with Lebanon’s al-Jadeed TV. “We do not trust Turkey …”. But Syria is trusting Turkey.

For the time being, this plan has averted an attack on Idlib by Russia and the Syrian Army. But if we study our Bibles we can recognize that this is almost certainly the beginning of the destruction of Damascus. The Syrian Army is amassed in the neighboring Hamah province. The Prophet Jeremiah says that when Hamah hears evil reports then the residents of Damascus will flee and Damascus will be destroyed.

Jeremiah 49:23 Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

Considering Jeremiah’s report I wouldn’t expect Turkey to successfully disarm Al-Qaeda in Idlib. Instead I would expect Turkey along with the Al-Qaeda forces in Idlib to attack Hamah. Russia has agreed to the demilitarization of Idlib but the Syrian Assad regime is eager to recapture its nation’s territory. Perhaps the Syrian Army will provoke Turkey during this disarmament period by shelling Idlib. Let’s see how aggressively Turkey pursues the disarmament of Al-Qaeda. Let’s see if Al-Qaeda is willing to go along with this plan. Hamah may begin hearing evil reports before October 10th.