Muslim Brotherhood Calls On Turkey To Occupy Northeastern Syria

The Syrian wing of the Muslim Brotherhood Party released an official statement on February 28, in which it called on Turkey to occupy northeastern Syria and establish a “safe zone” there.

“The safe zone will not be safe unless it is sponsored by the country that has been the supporter, the cover and backer of all weak and afraid men, women and children since the beginning of the revolution of freedom and dignity,” the Islamic party said in its official statement that was filled with words glorifying Turkey and its President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Most of northeastern Syria is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which captured the region from ISIS with direct support from the US-led coalition. Turkey considers the Kurdish-dominated group a threat to its national security.

In their statement, the Muslim Brotherhood Party rejected any involvement of Russia, Iran, the Damascus government, Kurdish forces or the U.S. in the establishment in the safe zone and accused them of committing crimes against the Syrian people.

Damascus banned the Muslim Brotherhood in 1963. A decade later, the party began assassinating officers, officials, doctors, scientists and even college professors in an attempt to overthrow the Syrian regime.

The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood Party is also believed to be responsible for a series of bombings that hit the Syrian capital of Damascus in the 80s. One of the attacks targeted the “blue building,” a residential complex for the families of Soviet military advisors.

Currently, the party is mainly backed by Turkey and Qatar, where most of its leadership are located. Despite receiving massive supports from these countries, the Muslim Brotherhood is not popular in Syria, even within the Islamic wing of the Syrian opposition.

Syria and many other Arab countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, recognize the global command of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. These countries are also engaged in several activities to counter the party’s influence in many Arab countries.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s statement on northeastern Syria is an example of its constant attempts to strengthen the Turkish influence in the war-torn country.

https://southfront.org/muslim-brotherhood-calls-on-turkey-to-occupy-northeastern-syria/

7K Migrants Apprehended in One Week in Texas Border Sector

U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector reported apprehending nearly 7,000 migrants in a single week who illegally crossed the border from Mexico into Texas.

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector is ground zero for the influx of migrants illegally crossing the border between ports of entry. The sector accounts for the largest percentage of all migrant apprehensions for all of the migrants apprehended in the nine southwest Border Patrol sectors, according to information provided by Border Patrol officials.

On Wednesday alone, RGV Sector agents apprehended more than 1,300 migrants — marking the second time in as many weeks this milestone has been achieved, officials stated.

Reports indicate that a majority of the migrants apprehended in the RGV sector are family units and unaccompanied minors from Central and South America. The massive number of apprehensions and the associated time required for Border Patrol agents to process and medically clear each of these migrants greatly impacts the sector’s resources normally utilized for carrying out the border security mission of the region.

During the first four months of Fiscal Year 2017, RGV agents apprehended 77,549 migrants who illegally crossed the border between ports of entry, according to the January Southwest Border Migration Report. This represents an average of 630 migrants apprehended per day. It also accounts for nearly 40 percent of all migrants apprehended in the nine southwest border sectors since October 1, 2018.

So far this fiscal year, RGV agents apprehended 43,588 Family Unit Aliens (FMUA) and 8,685 Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC). This represents an increase of 180 percent and 34 percent respectively over the same period in FY2018.

Nationally, Border Patrol agents apprehended 99,901 FMUAs and 20,123 UAC in the nine southwest Border Patrol sectors, officials reported. The families mostly originated from Guatemala (50,593) — followed by Honduras (36,009), El Salvador (9,146), and Mexico (883). Minors also mostly came from Guatemala (9,522) — followed by Honduras (4,833), Mexico (3,007), and El Salvador (2,292).

“At the current rate, the Rio Grande Valley Sector is on pace to reach 240,000 apprehensions for this fiscal year,” officials said in a written statement.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2019/02/28/7k-migrants-apprehended-in-one-week-in-texas-border-sector/