Farhad Shami, a SDF spokesman, made the remarks shortly after the US media reported on the plan. The armed group – a key ally of the US-led coalition fighting ISIL (ISIS) in the region – controls a large swath of northeast Syria, accounting for about one-third of Syria’s territory.
ISIS and other vile groups are, of course, anticipating the US’s withdrawal’s ability to reactivate and reach 2014, Shami said.
Hours earlier, NBC News reported, citing two unnamed Pentagon sources, that the administration of US President Donald Trump is drawing up plans to withdraw US troops from Syria in either 30, 60 or 90 days.
Last week, Trump was directly questioned about the possibility of troop withdrawal, and his administration promised to “make a determination on that.”
“Syria is its own mess. There were enough messes there. They don’t need us involved in every one”, he said.
Trump, who has vowed to end US military engagement abroad, initially pushed for the withdrawal of US troops from Syria during his first term, from 2017 to 2021, despite his constant pledge to have an “America First” foreign policy.
Officials warned of a backslide in the anti-ISIL fight and the consequences of abandoning Kurdish allies in the area as he abandoned the plan amid criticism from within his own administration.
Following the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by a rebel coalition led by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), speculation about the future of US troops in Syria increased. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the HTS leader, has since assumed control of Syria as interim leader.
Former US President Joe Biden’s administration remained steadfast in Syria following al-Assad’s ouster, insisting that US forces would remain there to stop ISIL from regaining control of the country after its 2019 territorial defeat.
In December, the Pentagon said about 2, 000 US military personnel remain in Syria. The figure is significantly higher than the roughly 900 troops that Washington had claimed were present in recent years. In 2014, the US sent troops to Syria for the first time.
The Trump administration has publicly stated that it will continue to fight ISIL fighters in the region. Additionally, analysts have warned that instability is increased if the amount of foreign aid is capped in some administrative and security funds for Kurdish fighters who control ISIL prison camps in Syria.
Changing dynamics
Concerns over US soldiers’ future in Syria come as a result of the region’s wider rebalancing following al-Assad’s overthrow.
On Tuesday, al-Sharaa met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Turkey had long supported the rebel offensive against al-Assad and opposed him.
Ankara also considers several Kurdish groups in Syria, including the People’s Protection Units (YPG), to be “terrorists”. Since al-Assad’s assassination, fighting between the YPG and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army has persisted.
Erdogan pledged a stronger Turkish presence in the fight against ISIL and Kurdish fighters while speaking at a press conference alongside al-Sharaa. He thanked al-Sharaa for “the strong commitment” he has shown in the “fight against terrorism”.
Al-Sharaa, meanwhile, pledged increased cooperation with Turkiye “to guarantee permanent security and stability”.
Al-Sharaa continued, citing a glaring reference to the SDF, that he and Erdogan had discussed “threats that prevent territorial unity in northeastern Syria.”
Source: Aljazeera
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