Kurds in Syria doubt future US support
Kyiv • UNN
The Syrian Kurds, who control 25-30% of the country's territory, are concerned about the possible loss of US support if Trump wins the election. During his previous presidency, Trump had already withdrawn troops from northern Syria.
Syrian rebels who recently helped to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad regime have launched a new offensive. At the same time, the Syrian Kurds fear that after Donald Trump takes office, the United States may withdraw its support for them, as it did during his previous term.
This is reported by UNN with reference to Financial Times.
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The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army has recently clashed with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkey considers these forces a threat because of their ties to the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting the Turkish government for more than 40 years.
The Kurds of Syria, who make up about 10% of the country's population, created their own territory during the civil war. Now they fear that the actions of the new Turkish-backed government could lead to difficult consequences for them.
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Although the United States has armed the SDF to fight the Islamic State, Trump's return raises questions about whether Washington's support will continue.
The United States has repeatedly used Kurdish groups as infantry in Iraq and Syria, but stopped supporting them as soon as their strategic need was over, which, according to experts, could put the Kurds in a dangerous situation.
The Kurds in Syria are in a very unstable situation. They depend on their relationship with the United States, but the United States considers them assets only when it is convenient
He added that “the Kurds are afraid of becoming victims” if they are no longer useful to the United States.
Ethnic Kurds make up about 40 million people in the Middle East, distributed between Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. During the Syrian civil war, Kurdish militias focused on controlling their own territories rather than fighting Assad.
The United States recognized it as an ally in the fight against the Islamic State, which seized significant territories in Syria and Iraq in 2014. Washington armed and trained the so-called "people's Defense Units" (YPG), which then merged with other factions to form the SDF.
After capitalizing on the chaos of the civil war and the fight against the Islamic State, the SDF now has about 100,000 fighters and controls about 25-30% of Syria, most of it in the northeast of the Euphrates River.
However, Trump's return to power on January 20 calls into question the continuation of US support. During his first term, Trump ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria, leaving the SDF vulnerable to a Turkish offensive.
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Turkey has already conducted several operations against Kurdish militants. Among the top U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, were those who resigned in protest.
Despite the fact that the United States still has about 900 special forces on the ground and provides air support to the SDF, Trump again spoke out against the continuation of the American presence in Syria.
The United States should have nothing to do with this... Stay out of it!
Farhad Shami, a spokesman for the SDF, noted that some Kurds are afraid of repeating the old scenario.
We are afraid that everything will happen again. We are afraid that the United States will abandon us again
Previously, the United States supported the Kurdish uprisings in Iraq, but after achieving its goals, it stopped supporting them, leaving the Kurds in danger.
Against this backdrop, the United States is now considering cooperation with the victorious rebel groups led by Islamists from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which formed an interim government after their success in the fight against Assad.
While Turkey fears that Kurdish autonomy in Syria could undermine stability within its own country, the United States is focused on ensuring national security and preventing the resurgence of the Islamic State.
“We must maintain a clear understanding of our national interests, and the fight against the resurgence of the Islamic State must be at the forefront,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen.
