US Shifts Stance on Syrian Kurds; SDF Looks to Israelis with Hope
Meh News Agency,International Desk: Recent statements by prominent figures from Donald Trump’s team suggest a form of coordination between Washington,Ankara,adn Damascus that is likely to complicate matters for Syrian Kurdish militias in the coming months.For several years now, Syrian Kurdish groups have repeatedly grown disillusioned and discouraged about U.S. backing. Recent security-political agreements between the U.S., Syria, and Turkey prevent Kurds from establishing an independent political structure. Previously, Washington and Ankara were at odds over this issue.The Kurds had hoped to maintain their so-called self-governance units with American support but are now being compelled to gradually hand over all oil fields to the central government and cede control of Kurdish regions back to Damascus.
in recent days, several interviews with Tom Barrack-the special envoy of Trump in Syria-have raised concerns among Syrian Kurdish militia commanders. Barrack also serves as the U.S. ambassador in Ankara and openly stated that the only path for PKK-affiliated Syrian Kurdish militias is full integration into the Syrian army without pursuing further demands.
Tom barrack, a businessman and longtime friend of Trump’s, also noted that from America’s viewpoint federalism or autonomy within Syria are unsuitable options. He indicated that the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) should no longer delay implementing their agreement with Damascus. Turkish analysts recently reported that Barrack urged Mazloum Abdi-commander of SDF-in a phone call to move swiftly toward uniting with Damascus.
Clear Kurdish Bias Regarding Sweida
The Israeli regime’s attacks on Syria have pushed Syrian Kurdish militias-frustrated with American support-to seek assistance from Israel instead. This shift has caused PKK-affiliated kurdish politicians to abstain from condemning Israeli strikes on Damascus alongside other parliamentary parties in Turkey or view these actions as condemnable at all.
In line with this stance, an official media outlet linked to PKK-affiliated bodies in northern Syria presented biased coverage during its field report on Sweida events: ”The forces of the transitional Syrian government continue attacking Sweida civilians while Israel targeted several military bases amid these clashes; some armed elements dispatched by Damascus assaulted civilians in sweida.”
This news agency representing illegal autonomous units quoted Eyad al-Khatib spokesperson for Syria Future Party stating: “All social groups across Syria have a right to adopt policies aligned with their cultural interests and rebuild society thru administrative and judicial systems they establish themselves. If decentralized structures are formed, Syria can restore its role regionally and globally.”
This quote reveals how developments around Sweida-alongside Israeli actions justified as protecting Druze populations-have reignited hopes among Kurds advocating once more for establishing an executive non-centralized political entity known colloquially in Arabic as “lamarkazi,” resembling neither centralized government functions nor unified sovereignty.
Responses From Two Prominent Syrian Kurdish Figures Toward america
Following Tom Barrack’s comments outlining limits on Kurd participation within any future political framework for Syria, Mazloum Abdi-the SDF commander-responded defiantly: “We were fighting terrorism here before you arrived; we defended this land long before your presence… now we refuse returning to our previous status.”
Apart from mazloum Abdi, Saleh Muslim-a senior leader within the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and foreign affairs spokesperson-in an interview with STERK TV said: “Tom Barrack spoke primarily aiming to appease Turkey; recently we held meetings with diplomatic delegations from both America and France.
We believe his assertion that Kurds have no place politically except absorption into Assad’s unified army does not fully represent official Washington policy but rather reflects positions held by certain agencies.
His remarks upset us greatly; though after returning from talks in Damascus and Ankara he softened his tone acknowledging integration of SDF forces into Assad’s army would be complex.”
this complexity expressed refers mainly to U.S demands for complete absorption of estimated 70-100 thousand-member SDF militia under total command controlled strictly by government officials.
Though Kurds want their fighters integrated en masse but within a single corps retaining internal command authority.
Saleh Muslim clarified their position explaining they do not oppose integration but highlighted challenges saying:
“Among current army factions stationed around Damascus are jihadist groups including former ISIS members-we fought them fiercely over many years;
how could we possibly fight alongside those extremists side-by-side?”
Ilam Ahmed-a prominent Syriac Kurd official-noted:
“America and others may believe centralized governance builds stronger states yet we disagree profoundly.
Syria comprises diverse ethnicities/religions; decentralized governance providing all communities representation within leadership/governance/defense mechanisms offers only viable path toward stable state-building.Continuing current approach risks empowering jihadists like Jolani who espouse extremist views hostile toward Christians,
Alawites,
Druze,
and Kurds-as he pursues agendas pleasing foreign powers including USA,
EU,
France,
and selective Arab states-which cannot yield durable stability for Syria.”
Recent developments indicate Israeli strikes triggered renewed scenarios together involving partial occupation alongside partitioning parts of Syria while Ocalan-aligned kurds attempt leveraging emerging circumstances.
