MANBIJ (Anadolu) – Kurdish militants supported by the United States has been punishing people in northern Syria for rejecting its agenda by creating an artificial shortage of fuel, which it has a monopoly on locally.
The militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the so-called People’s Protection Units, YPG/PKK, group is hurting people in the Manbij region, whose population is 99% Arab, by pressuring locals who have rejected its policy of forcibly recruiting young people to its terrorist ranks under the guise of “compulsory military service.”
Tensions were high among Manbij residents following the incarceration of young people who refused to join the militants’ “compulsory military service,” which began last May.
In protests over the group’s arrest of young people due to their refusal to enlist, eight civilians were killed and 27 others injured.
After the demonstrations spread throughout the district, the group bowed to public demands to end the so-called “military service” and released the captives.
Manbij, which had a population of roughly 1 million people before the foreign-backed in Syria began in 2011, had already experienced the worst fuel crisis since 2016, with only one gas station selling petrol.
However, since withdrawing the “compulsory military service” campaign, the militant group has adopted a new policy of allowing only 40 liters of gas per 10 days per car, replacing the old 40 liters per week policy, which is tantamount to punishing the public for rejecting the YPG/PKK’s forcible recruitment policy.
Although there are many fuel stations throughout the district, the YPG/PKK allows the fuel it holds in monopoly to be sold through only one.
A former U.S. military commander recently admitted that his country made a mistake in sponsoring Syria-based Kurdish militants against the wishes of its NATO ally, Turkey.
“Our support for the PKK/YPG with weapons was a big mistake and harmed our relationship with Turkey,” said Former Army general and commander of U.S. forces in Europe, Ben Hodges, during an interview with Turkish Haberturk TV channel as reported by the local media on Saturday.
“I know that these words may surprise the Turks, but we must admit our mistake,” added Hodges, who is currently the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis.