Well, now there are some details that give the story legs. Looks like there may well be something to the stories, if Amnesty are to be believed:
Syria: US ally’s razing of villages amounts to war crimes | Amnesty International
I'm going to try and digest the full report later but the YPG side it mentions is:
Redur Xelil, the YPG spokesperson, told Amnesty International that residents had to vacate some areas for their own security, and not necessarily because of any ties to armed groups. He explained that these displacements were carried out to avoid civilian casualties during clashes and to prevent injuries from IEDs that IS had laid in villages. He said: With regret… in war the person that is harmed first and foremost is the civilian. We know it. But there are some situations where there is no other option… The families that are on the frontline… Who is responsible for them if IS attacks? When clashes happen there is shooting and car bombs, airplane shelling; all kinds of weapons are used. The better solution is to move civilians away from the frontlines until the situation improves… There is no other solution militarily… Second there are thousands of IEDs in this area. How can you keep families, and women, and kids amongst the IEDs? They are still there.71
He added that IS was benefiting from the presence of civilians in these areas, and using them to plant car bombs or carry out other attacks on the YPG.
The war is very ugly similar to the Lebanon one, jabhat el nusra, ahrar ash sham and the fsa have all, at various points, tried to wipe out the ypg. Presumed guilt on the basis of family identification is, of course, a grotesque crime.
Members of a displaced family from Tel Diyab village, near Ras al-Ayn -- who are now in southern Turkey -- told Amnesty International that the YPG and Asayish forces told them to leave because of their suspected familial affiliation with non-state armed groups opposed to the Syrian government. The family added that two of their homes were destroyed after they were forced to leave. Amnesty International visited two of the destroyed homes and observed the destruction.
Members of a displaced family from Ras al-Ayn city, now in southern Turkey, told Amnesty International that the YPG confiscated their home and shops after they left the city, fearing reprisals because one family member had fought against the YPG as part of a Free Syrian Army brigade.
Interview from the same commander about
ethnic relations
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You live in an area which is not homogeneous from the demographic aspect, how do the Arabs interact with you?
For us, The Kurdish Rojava is a definite geographical area that nothing can conceal the truth about it, even the fifty-year old Arabization policy of the former regime; however, these kinds of policies have had many negative influences.
Nevertheless, at the moment what we have in hand is the presence of many ethnics in the area including Kurdish, Assyrian, Syriac, Arab and Circassian. Ethnic or racial war bears no fruit for us or for the Arabs. We should regard this plurality and difference as an opportunity not as a threat. This solidarity makes it possible to go for mutual trust in the near future.
We want to approach the issue with wisdom and rationality and we try to enliven the inactive space between the Rojava ethnics, which takes time.
We do not have any problems with our Arab brothers, as some Arab youth are now fighting against ISIS besides our warriors and they are martyred in such battles.
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How do the Arabs in the area think about you?
Unfortunately, the Arabs in the area lack a solid structure so one cannot get into dialogues with them. Most of them are influenced by the commands of the tribe chiefs and act accordingly. They usually accompany the main power of the area in different times.
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Even when that power is ISIS?
Unfortunately, yes! At first, most of them were along with the Jabhat al-Nusra; and before that they were with the regime, and now they are cooperating with ISIS.
We have applied a completely different policy, which is the effort for eliminating the ethnic sensitivities. We can live with one another peacefully as brothers and have managed to gain their confidence using legal strategies.
After the arrival of YPG forces at the Tal Hamis and Tal Brak cities that were mostly Arabic Residents, the peace has returned to the city and we do not see the dangers from ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusraand the regime for Arabs anymore. Currently, the local forces have the gained the control of their city. And many people have been martyred for liberating these areas.
Many local people would tell us at the time of the former regime: “We will kick you out of the Arabic lands. We will slaughter you, you do not belong here!” They were just obeying the regime policies and there were no efforts to reviewing their opinions. However, at last, the ones who liberated the Arabs from the inhumane culture yoke of ISIS, were the very Kurds whom the Arabs wanted to slaughter. They lived several years under the strict and inhumane rules of Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS. Today, many things have changed; the ethnic sensitivities have reduced in the Arab cantons and they are eagerly joining the YPG day by day. We are optimistic about living in a brotherly atmosphere equal to Arab, Assyrian and Chechenian brothers.
not good
