Dubbed “Operation Peace Spring,” Turkey’s most recent intervention into Syria has by now been going on for more than two months. Green-lit by the withdrawal of American troops from the border region, Turkey’s invasion of the country’s northeast seeks to remove Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from the area. Over the course of the offensive,Continue reading “Murder, Looting, and Displacement: Two Months into Turkey’s Invasion of Eastern Syria”
Author Archives: akmckeever
STJ Reseach Contributions: New Evidence…in the Murder of the Kurdish Politician Hevrin Khalaf
Syrians for Truth and Justice’s deep dive into the murder of Hevrin Khalaf by Turkish backed forces, including open sourced analysis I contributed…
al-Monitor Research Contributions: Following the Syrian oil trail
Research contributions made to an investigation by al-Monitor reported Amberin Zaman, looking into the exportation of oil from SDF controlled Syria into the KRG…
Afrin – Turkish-backed groups undertake live ammunition exercises in Iron Age temple
originally published by Syrians for Truth and Justice On 20 September 2019, opposition news outlet “Nedaa’ Syria” published a video[1] highlighting a live-fire training exercise undertaken by a special force’s unit of the National Front for Liberation (NLF). At just under three minutes long, the video shows fighters using small arms, including hand and rocket-propelled grenades,Continue reading “Afrin – Turkish-backed groups undertake live ammunition exercises in Iron Age temple”
STJ Research Contributions Fall 2019
Contributions to three reports published by Syrians for Truth and Justice, covering the destruction of a shrine in Afrin, civilian buildings hit by Turkish artillery, and a deep dive into the early stages of the civil war in the city of Ras al-‘Ain…
Popular Front Bonus Ep: A Closer Look at Turkey’s Syrian Militias
I spoke with Jake Hanrahan for a (Patreon-only) Popular Front bonus episode about Turkey’s proxy militias in Syria, within the context of Turkey’s October 2019 Operation Peace Spring…
Afrin: Incidents Of Desecration And Destruction Of Cultural Sites
originally published on bellingcat.com Soon after the inception of Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch in January of 2018, reports began trickling out of Syria’s Afrin district detailing the desecration or destruction of numerous cultural sites in the region. Just two days into the operation, airstrikes inflicted significant damage on Ain Dara, a “Neo-Hittite temple…built by the Arameans inContinue reading “Afrin: Incidents Of Desecration And Destruction Of Cultural Sites”
Remnants Of The Deiri Opposition: Contention And Controversy In North Aleppo
originally published on bellingcat.com Since the onset of its direct intervention in Syria, Turkey has struggled to create stability in northern Aleppo. Writing in mid-2017, Aaron Stein and others attributed this to the Turkish development and support of two conflicting security apparatuses; the newly created local police forces and existent militant opposition, as well as local councilContinue reading “Remnants Of The Deiri Opposition: Contention And Controversy In North Aleppo”
Wrath of the Olives: Tracking the Afrin Insurgency Through Social Media
originally published on bellingcat.com Concluding in late March 2018, Operation Olive Branch resulted in the capture of Kurdish-populated Afrin district of Aleppo by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and allied Free Syrian Army (TFSA) factions. The bulk of Afrin’s YPG and YPJ defenders and over a hundred thousand of its inhabitants fled east to the nearby ShahbaContinue reading “Wrath of the Olives: Tracking the Afrin Insurgency Through Social Media”
Olive Branch Military Outpost Built Atop Afrin Cemetery
originally published on bellingcat.com Since the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and allied Syrian Arab and Turkmen militias concluded “Operation Olive Branch” in Syria in late March of 2018, allegations of human rights abuses have widely circulated on social media. Among these charges is the destruction of graveyards and accompanying shrines throughout Afrin. Videos and photographsContinue reading “Olive Branch Military Outpost Built Atop Afrin Cemetery”