Kurdish response: the U.S. contemplates withdrawal from Syria
Kurdish formations controlling northeastern Syria appear to be close to a deal with Damascus. One local warlord, Abu Omar al-Idlibi, has said the Kurds are ready to join the unified army now being formed by Syria's transitional government. This could help restore the integrity of the country and create conditions for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Details - in the material of "Izvestia".
Eight points
"It was decided to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the power structures associated with the autonomous administration into the structure of the Syrian army in order to unite efforts and strengthen national power," - reported in the account of military commander Abu Omar al-Idlibi in the social network X after a meeting of representatives of the authorities in the northeastern part of Syria, where the US military is now.
According to him, foreign fighters should leave the ranks of the SDF. Apparently, al-Idlibi is referring to members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), who earlier arrived from Iraq.
In total, the parties reached an agreement on eight points. In particular, the participants agreed to reopen state civil and service institutions in northern and eastern Syria to ensure the provision of basic services.
In addition, the sides affirmed "the importance of Syria's territorial integrity" and that "the inclusion of local forces in the Syrian army will strengthen its ability to defend the homeland."
It was also agreed to establish bilateral committees to develop and implement all approved provisions.
Abu Omar al-Idlibi said that the agreements are "part of ongoing efforts to strengthen national unity and greater stability and peace in Syria."
For its part, the Syrian government has not yet officially confirmed the signing of the agreement or the mechanisms for its implementation. So it remains unclear whether this statement is a final decision or just a hint of possible compromises.
As The Cradle notes, the issue of surrendering weapons to the SDF and integration into the new Syrian army is "controversial."
"Syria's minorities - Kurds, Christians, Alawites and Druze - do not fully trust the new ruling party, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, recognized as terrorist in Russia and banned. - Ed.)," the publication said.
Internal pressure
The main dispute between Damascus and the Kurds concerns the special status of the latter. The Kurds want to retain autonomy and the right to arms, while the central government insists on full integration. Transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa has previously called for disarmament, which has caused discontent among Kurdish commanders.
One SDF spokeswoman, Ilham Ahmed, said the Kurds need to keep their weapons as the fight against IS (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) continues. She stressed that the SDF is ready to cooperate with the Syrian Defense Ministry, but will not give up their weapons, as they are considered one of the most effective forces in the region. Ahmed also noted that in the long term, the Kurds may join the unified army, but only if Turkish attacks cease and the fight against IS is completed.
If the sides do reach an agreement, it could be a formal reason for the U.S. to begin withdrawing its troops from Syria. U.S. support has long been the basis of the SDF's legitimacy, but Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken out against maintaining a U.S. military presence in the region. According to NBC, the Pentagon is already developing a plan to evacuate about 2,000 military personnel.
Experts from the US neoconservative Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that the SDF is now under pressure from both other Kurdish groups and the US and Turkey to integrate with Damascus. This pressure is probably forcing them to soften their demands.
The main problem is the format of integration. The SDF want to join the army as a single entity, while Damascus insists on first disbanding their military formations and then distributing the fighters to different units. Until recently, the SDF had not announced a willingness to completely disband their structures.
Go to Iraq
Danila Krylov, a researcher at the Middle East and Post-Soviet East Department of the Institute of International Scientific Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a candidate of political sciences, noted in a conversation with Izvestia that the SDF, which includes most of the Kurdish formations, has never had good, close relations with Russia, since the alliance has always been pro-American. Moreover, even though several times in the history of the Syrian campaign since 2011 the Americans have abandoned their positions, leaving the Kurds alone with the Turks.
- These are not independent players. They are not Russia's friends or even partners," the political scientist pointed out.
According to him, neighboring Turkey perceives the Kurds as one of the key threats to its internal security. It is not without reason that the PKK has been recognized by Ankara as a terrorist organization for many decades.
- If the Kurds are going to join a unified army, Syria has no unified army. At the same time, there are many American projects, it is enough to look at the latest maps of the redivision of the Middle East," the expert notes.
He added that the current U.S. leadership seeks to reduce the U.S. military presence in Syria as much as possible.
- By good account, albeit by other people's hands, but they have achieved what they wanted: the regime of Bashar al-Assad has fallen, Syria has changed its political vector, it is not clear where it will go now. So it is logical to leave this territory now and, for example, crawl back to Iraq," the expert believes.
In his opinion, this can be seen as a reason to leave Damascus with head held high and without political and reputational risks and losses.
- Plus, it is possible to play the card of readiness for a constructive dialog with the states of the Middle East. Now Trump needs to earn points, because after Joe Biden, the United States has lost a lot of political weight and influence on some deep and significant processes," the orientalist believes.
U.S. President Donald Trump
In the end, the Americans may change their mind about withdrawing from Syria, Krylov does not rule out. The presence of the U.S. military in Syria is not the most urgent task for Washington right now.
- And I don't think they are resolving this issue without Erdogan, some form of consultation will be held. Maybe in a non-public format," the expert summarized.
An equation with many unknowns
Andrei Ontikov, an orientalist, publicist, and author of the Telegram channel "Eastern Gates," noted in a conversation with Izvestia that the statement from Syria sounded loud enough, but, by and large, there is nothing new in it compared to what the Syrian Democratic Forces reported earlier.
- All this time, the SDF has been engaged in political maneuvering. In the pre-Assad period, the SDF said that they were in principle ready to join the Syrian army. But then the Kurds set a condition that they should become a separate unit with a high degree of independence within the Syrian army," the political analyst explained.
However, according to him, the specific details of the agreements reached are important in this case.
- When we talk about the dialog between the SDF and Damascus, we find a lot of problematic points, and they concern not only the army, but also the management of territories. In addition, there is the issue of oil fields: how to exploit them and where the profits should go. Ideally, all these issues should be put on the agenda in the course of some kind of dialog between the central authorities in Damascus and the SDF or the current administration in eastern and northeastern Syria," the expert believes.
According to Ontikov, the SDF and the Kurds in particular are engaged in maneuvering, and the degree of their maneuvering directly depends on the U.S. position.
- As soon as the Americans weakened their support for the Kurds, as soon as the Turks received a direct or indirect signal from the Americans that the U.S. would not interfere with the military operation in the region, the Kurds immediately moved closer to the authorities in Damascus. But as soon as the situation stabilized, the negotiations came to naught. Now the situation for the Kurds is somewhat more complicated," Ontikov said.
Damascus, Syria
It is still unclear what Trump will do. He already said during his previous term that the Americans intend to withdraw their troops from Syria. According to the analyst, this would be a very strong blow for the Kurds.
- And in this case, we will see a much softer and more pliable stance on their part. The Kurds now have very limited room for maneuver. After all, they used to be able to play on the contradictions that existed between three forces that were not allied with each other," the orientalist said.
Now one of these forces has largely disappeared. The authorities in Damascus are very close to Turkey, and accordingly, the field for political maneuvering for the Kurds is narrowing, the expert concluded.
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