Alphabet.

This is coolbert:

Regarding the capture of the Tishrin dam and the significance thereof:

"How big is the strategic importance of Tishrin Dam?"

As extracted from a Syrian Civil War Internet web site:

AS I HAVE PREVIOUSLY STATED, PERHAPS NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF WARFARE HAS THERE BEEN A MORE COMPLICATED AND CONVOLUTED SITUATION AS EXISTS DURING THIS PARTICULAR PERIOD OF THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR BOTH ON THE GROUND AND IN THE AIR

"I only observe whats going on the civil war and war against Daesh. So how big is the importance of Tishrin Dam. Is it just a river crossing?"

1. "The non-english acronym is QSD, you might have seen that before. The SDF is essentially the PYD's (main Syrian Kurdish political party) vehicle to spread their Rojava Project. Its a military coalition and operations room consisting of the YPG (PYD's armed wing) and various former FSA groups (mostly from Northern/Eastern Syria, many of whom were run out of their original territories by ISIS). The SDF is not officially part of the Kurdish Nationalist Movement, but the PYD is, and it certainly cooperates with the KRG and PKK, specifically to fight ISIS, and is under the KCK umbrella with PKK (map of Kurdish [and a few others] political parties) (Warning: confusing). YPG is also by far the biggest militia is the group as well, so the SDF is kind of seen as proxy of sorts for the PYD, and by extension, the Kurdish National movement."

2. "The SDF aren't explicitly Kurdish - their flag shows all Syria, they're fighting to liberate all of Syria from Daesh, and there are many Arabs in their ranks. But by far the largest group in the SDF are the YPG, and the SDF in general are committed to a Kurdish autonomous zone in Syria."

ALL OF SYRIA WITH THE EMPHASIS ON THE EUPHRATES RIVER!

"Alongside the Kurdish YPG there are 4000 Arab fighters, most of whom are in FSA-linked groups such as Jaish al-Thuwwar, though others are in independent YPG-linked militias. Relations with the government are mixed; in Cizire canton there is definitely military cooperation between the two, and there seems to be an unspoken agreement for the two not to fight. However, SDF leaders have made statements suggesting that they view the SAA as an enemy, and there have been occasional tensions between SDF fighters and government troops."

SDF = Syrian Democratic Forces.

SAA = Syrian Arab Army. Loyal to Assad.

Confusing, isn't it? It is to me!

coolbert.