QAMISHLI: Burying
fighters killed in a nearly week-long battle against Turkish forces in northern
Syria, the country's Kurdish minority denounced a "betrayal" by US
allies that paved the way for Ankara's offensive. In a graveyard in the
Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli, 57-year-old Basna Amin watched as the newly
fallen were laid to rest near comrades who died in the US-backed fight against
the Islamic State group. "We are disappointed because (the Americans)
betrayed us," she said, a black and white headscarf covering her hair.

"The world
wants the Kurds to always be broken," she said. At least 135 Kurdish
fighters have been killed in Ankara's assault triggered by last week's US
pullout from border areas in Syria's north, according to the Britain-based
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Washington's move - widely interpreted as
green-lighting the long-planned Turkish invasion-has sparked resentment among
the Kurds who have already lost 11,000 of their fighters in anti-IS battles.

Sitting near the
grave of her son who died battling jihadists in 2014, Jawahir said that
sacrifices by Syria's Kurds will compensate for the blow dealt by Washington.
"We have been betrayed before," she said. "All the gains we have
scored are thanks to the blood of these martyrs," she added. "Their
blood will not go to waste." Around her, women hunkered beside graves,
their eyes red with tears. Hundreds had streamed into the graveyard to bury
fighters killed in recent border battles, the portraits of 'martyrs' plastered
on coffins and pinned to clothes.

'Pay with our
children'

Dressed in
military fatigues, a female Kurdish fighter pressed her body against a colorful
casket, held up by a sea of mourners. She stroked the coffin's lid, its floral
arrangement matching the pattern on her black headscarf. In the crowd below,
another woman whispered inaudible words as she caressed a similar coffin,
decorated with ribbons, flowers and a red sheet. Trump, who is campaigning for
re-election but faces impeachment, is keen to deliver on a promise of pulling
US troops out of the Syria quagmire.

More than 1,000
troops are now being withdrawn from northern Syria and the United States will
keep only a residual contingent of some 150 troops in the south at the Al-Tanf
base near the borders with Jordan and Iraq. "They used to break bread
together, and fight terrorism together, it is a big disappointment," said
Farida Bakr, speaking on Washington's decision to withdraw troops.  But "we will stay on our land, and we
will fight until we are victorious, even if we have to pay with our
children," said the 50-year-old.

Around her, women
ululated in grief. Others in headscarves stood silently, raising two fingers in
a victory gesture, their solemn gaze directed to the floor. They waved baskets
carrying candles and henna dye, a custom during funerals for the young. For
Souad Hussein, whose children are among those fighting Ankara's forces, the
Kurds can rely only on themselves. "We have hope only in our forces
because the Kurds have no friends," she said. "We will be friends to
ourselves and we will confront our enemies."- AFP