An increasingly complex conflict has emerged in the ruins of Syria's post-Bashar al-Assad regime, pitting U.S.-backed forces against proxies funded by key U.S. allies. .
The Syrian National Army (SNA), backed by NATO member Turkey, is embroiled in a conflict with the U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria. The situation continues to escalate, with Türkiye's Ministry of Defense denying any ceasefire negotiations between the two groups. contradictory The State Department announced on December 10 that the temporary peace brokered would continue. According to to Reuters. (Related: No one in the Biden administration wants to explain how 1,100 more US troops showed up in Syria, or if the president knew)
This situation has put the US foreign policy establishment in a unique predicament, with the US government facing direct and indirect conflict in geopolitical conflicts that have drawn other major powers, including Russia and Israel. We will support those who do.
“The Kurds have long been an ally of the United States,” Polaris National Security Executive Director Gabriel Noronha told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “During the Iraq war, they were great. They are moderate, they are secular, their women are educated. They are in some ways an ideal Middle East partner in terms of ideology and behavior, and they “The other problem is that the SDF controls ISIS prisons, which house tens of thousands of ISIS members and their families.”
However, the Kurds are confronting the SNA and its leaders. —turkey — Countries to which the United States has provided $100 million in military aid in the past 10 years According to to the State Department. Most recently, in March, the Biden administration sold F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye to strengthen its air force.
The SNA was originally formed in 2017 from various rebel groups in northern Syria to oppose the Assad regime and the Islamic fundamentalist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). According to To the Middle East Eye. However, joining HTS to seize Damascus on December 7 signals a shift in their attitude towards the Islamic group.
Turkey recently formalized diplomatic relations with the new leaders of Syria's HTS and is seeking the lifting of sanctions against the country. According to Al Jazeera on Sunday. HTS also reportedly seeks a unified Syrian state without special administrative divisions, killing the Kurds' desire for autonomy. According to to a serious threat.
According to Middle East Eye, the SNA's activities are almost always aligned with Türkiye's interests.
As a member of NATO, Turkey enjoys the following benefits: common Defense from members if attacked. However, the country's membership is controversial, with efforts to block Sweden from joining in 2023. obtained Russian missiles flew in 2019 drone It will enter U.S. airspace in Syria in October 2023.
Members of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) stand guard in front of an ISIS flag in the border town of Jarablus, Syria, on August 31, 2016. (Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the United States is supporting the Self-Defense Forces with direct air and logistics support from military bases in Syria, as well as acting in an advisory role. According to To the Pentagon. Additionally, President Joe Biden recently requested $147.9 million in fiscal year 2025 to fund the Counter-ISIS Training and Equipment Fund, which will help arm the Self-Defense Forces. According to According to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report released in July.
The U.S. also allocated $25 million in fiscal year 2024 to keep 46,000 people connected to ISIS imprisoned, according to the CRS report. The SDF currently holds 9,000 ISIS fighters in temporary custody under limited security, but the SNA advance could open the door for the fighters to escape and re-establish a presence in the country. be.
The United States recently conducted airstrikes against ISIS targets to quell ISIS's resurgence attempts.
There are 2,000 US troops in Syria supporting the SDF in fighting ISIS, nearly double the 900 figure reported a few months ago. According to Thursday at the Pentagon.
Noronha said Turkey considers the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to be a rebel group. terrorist A Turkish-American group that is their main enemy and linked to the rest of the SDF.
“There are different levels of Kurdish forces, some of which are Kurdish forces. [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Türkiye,” Noronha told DCNF. “For Turkey, the PKK, and by extension the SDF, are a threat to Turkey's territorial integrity and other national interests. So they have been doing it for a long time, and their goal is generally to annihilate the Kurds, at least the Kurdish forces. .”
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that he expected the SDF's allies to withdraw support for the group after the fall of Assad, adding that the PKK and the rest of the SDF “will be crushed in the shortest possible time.” ” According to to Reuters. Turkey also said it would not “talk to any terrorist organization” and said the US proposal for a ceasefire between the SNA and SDF “must be a gaffe,” according to Reuters. (Related: No one in the Biden administration wants to explain how 1,100 more US troops showed up in Syria, or if the president knew)
“It was just a bad time overall.” [Syria] It happens,” Noronha told DCNF. “Although you can't make long-term decisions for next month, now is also a critical time to make engagement decisions and have influence early in the process.”
As for Russia, satellite images show its troops appearing to be withdrawing from bases on Syria's west coast. According to To the BBC. Russia was a major supporter of Assad's regime during his reign.
President-elect Donald Trump said In a Dec. 7 Truth Social post, before HTS captured Damascus, he said there was not much to be gained from more direct involvement at this time and that he hoped the U.S. would stay out of Syria. Ta.
“The American people re-elected President Trump because they trust him to lead our country and restore peace through the power of the world,” Trump Vance transition press secretary Brian Hughes told DCNF. “When he returns to the White House, he will take the necessary actions to achieve that.”
The State Department did not respond to DCNF's request for comment.
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