RT claims that US has sent Javelins to Kurdish YPG
Russia’s government-funded RT television said, “If the Kurdish YPG fighters have been armed with Javelin anti-tank missiles by Washington, it is a move that will not go down well with Turkey. Ankara has been shelling YPG forces, which Turkey views as a terrorist organization, as well as government troops on Syrian territory since mid-February.”
The Washington Post, which first reported on the video and the possible use of a Javelin, cited State Department spokesman John Kirby as saying that “nothing has changed about our policy of not providing the YPG with weapons.” However, the U.S. has coordinated frequent airstrikes in support of the YPG and airdropped ammunition to the group last year in defense of the besieged town of Kobane.
It appears that RT is attempting an age old tactic- seeking to create a rift between allies before a large frontal attack. Long story short, the YPG is one of the two major armed factions of the Kurds of northern Iraq, far northeast Syria, extreme southern Turkey, and far west Iran.
Turkey considers them terrorists, especially the other Kurdish group, the marxist Kurdish Worker’s Party, or PKK, pictured at the right. 
The two have a very long history together, going back to before Sykes-Picot. Turkey sees both factions of the Kurds as enemies, and has been ramping up the attacks on them over the past year.
To infer that DC armed the YPG with Javelins is silly- it’s simply not happening. The YPG is indeed struggling for arms and equipment, but they have little need for anti-armor role, one time use rockets. The US has indeed coordinated airstrikes with the YPG however…the ill-fated oil tanker bombings which were transporting oil from Baiji to Turkey to backdoor funds to ISIS, and the raid to free a large number of hostages being held in Northern Iraq. Both of which appeared to be token efforts at best.
Turkey is mostly concerned with the control of Kobane, a critical pass of terrain which ISIS needs to solidify it’s supply line from Turkey. The YPG has been able thus far to control it, despite being outnumbered and ill-equipped. It would be a tactical disaster for them to lose control. That being said, a Javelin won’t do them much good in this type of fight; these are anti-armor weapons, needing a fair amount of technology to support it. Something light, reusable, and multi-purpose is a much better fit, such as a Mukha(RPG-18) or M-72 LAW would fit their purposes much, much better than the cumbersome Javelin.
MLCOA
I predict the attacks on the YPG to pick up; and attacks within Turkey will happen as well. There are no doubt US missle-type weapons in theater- not in the hands of the Kurds but more likely in the hands of ISIS, by way of Libya. They will make themselves known(if they haven’t already) but it’ll get swept under the rug “for the common interest of our allies.”
MDCOA
The YPG loses Kobane- and with it ISIS solidifies control of northern Syria, causing the Kurds to further be reduced in their areas of influence. The loss of this area would be a major blow to the Kurds and would see them butcher at the hands of the Islamic State and their indirect allies in the region- inching closer to the Caliphate they wish to re-establish.
Lessons in Real Time
This situation is quite the teacher- for those paying attention. As with Ukraine, this is a real time fight, where the consequences are very real for those fighting. Keep a close eye on it and take notes. Reality is very different from the fantasy land some pundits like to live in.
On another note, everyone remembers the Nazis. What most don’t remember is the Ottoman Turks doing the same thing, but even worse; as a matter of fact, Hitler cited the Ottomans as a model. Their atrocities in Armenia are still to this day refused to be acknowledged, even by our own President. The Islamic Government in Ankara seeks to once again purify the mideast, starting with the Kurds.
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Yet again, another good catch. I would be willing to bet the javelin is the big scary monster to the Russians, considering it was developed to counter their best armor like the T 90 s etc. So naturally, they would want to use it in their propaganda. It would make much more sense if the US was to arm them with lightweight anti armor weapons. What would actually make a lot of sense, was if they were to give them SMAWs with an assortment of different rounds. Not to mention a javelin costs over $100,000, and rarely do US troops get the opportunity to fire one, even in training. And another point, the armor that the Kurds would most likely be going against from any angle doesn’t really need a javelin to take it out.
Exactly…but even more importantly, the Kurds would use it on the Turks long before they would the Russians. Hell, the PKK would welcome the Russians with open arms, and understandably so.
That new spiffy RPG the Russians developed is pretty fearsome with its multi purpose warhead. As the saying goes, cheaper by the dozen. Wouldn’t mind having a few myself if I was a Kurd, look like a handy weapon.
It is indeed.
The Chechens made very widespread use of the RPG-18. It’s an excellent weapon, and like most weapons the Russians have designed, great for partisan warfare.
That struck me too reading about it awhiles back, talk about a forth generation guerrilla fighters heavy weapon suitable for small infantry use. Even the earlier RPG7 fits the bill used intellegently. Imagine each member of a platoon equipped with those RPG’s and tactics developed to employ them, on top of 1st rate rifle marksmanship and maneuver, each man with a couple of PG reloads, you could break and kill a lot of stuff in short order, get some serious hit and run strategy going around that concept I would think.
Have any knowledge of how accurate and effective they are in real combat use?
Yes.
Read Echoes of Chechnya that I wrote, as well as the examples I used in Building the Scout Team. An RPG gunner comprised one element of their 3 man team and served a very important role(although each role was inter-dependent.)
The tactic was brutally effective in the first defense of Grozny, and later became the go-to method of attack for their hunter-killer teams against armor.
Charles Hugh – Smith wrote an interesting perspective.
How The Seeds Of Revolution Take Root
What motivates a populace to rebel against a regime?
by Charles Hugh Smith
Friday, February 26, 2016http://www.peakprosperity.com/blog/96174/how-seeds-revolution-take-root
Good stuff.