The Three Quiet Victors of the Iran War
Turkey, Pakistan, and Qatar have played their hands well since February 28, without disrupting their relations with either the United States or Iran.
Mazloum Abdi
Saying Goodbye to the Syrian Democratic Forces
During the fight against ISIS, the SDF proved that the Kurds were useful allies to the United States. Now they may prove equally useful to the new Syrian government.
Op-eds
US rescinds Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism
On August 24, the US rescinded Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. “I congratulate the Syrian people on the official removal of Syria’s name from the list of state sponsors...
Op-eds
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi meets US envoy amid militia pressure
US Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi on June 15 to discuss strengthening ties between Baghdad and Washington. The meeting comes as the US continues...
Op-eds
Syrian president meets Syrian Democratic Forces leader to discuss next phase of integration
Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa met with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi in Damascus on April 16. The meeting came two and a half months after an agreement between...
Op-eds
Syrian government and SDF continue transition, US strikes Islamic State and withdraws from Tanf
The Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued transitioning control of portions of Syria as US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had carried out strikes on the Islamic...
Op-eds
Syria joins anti-Islamic State coalition meeting as territory transition with SDF continues
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al Shaibani took part in a meeting of the US-led anti-Islamic State coalition in Saudi Arabia on February 9. Syria joined the coalition in November as its...
Op-eds
Turkey, The Kurds, And The U.S.: The SDF Partnership Hits a Strategic Wall
Masoud Barzani’s February 6 meeting with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi spotlights a decade of U.S. partnering that helped defeat ISIS in eastern Syria, but never produced a political endgame. After holding territory east of the Euphrates, the SDF suffered setbacks in mid-January clashes and then reached a January 30 understanding that allows Damascus to expand security control in remaining SDF areas. Some fighters could be absorbed into Syria’s army, while U.S. forces weigh next steps for ISIS detainee operations and their remaining footprint.
Op-eds
Fighting intensifies between Damascus and Syrian Democratic Forces as diplomatic talks resume
Despite a US-mediated ceasefire, clashes continued between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria. On January 29, Syrian military drones carried...
Op-eds
Over the Barrel of a Gun: Syria’s Deal With the SDF
“Our Kurdish people, descendants of Saladin, beware of believing claims that we seek harm against you,” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in a televised address on January 16 to Syria’s...
Op-eds
Syrian Offensive Against Kurdish-Led SDF Risks Escape of ISIS Prisoners
The ongoing conflict between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) risks unleashing tens of thousands of ISIS-linked detainees, reviving a threat that the United States and the SDF...
Policy Briefs
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces withdraw from Aleppo province after clashes with Syrian government
In the wake of intense fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi ordered the withdrawal of his personnel from contested areas...
Op-eds
Syrian army besieges Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo following clashes
Units of the Syrian army have surrounded the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh in Aleppo, marking the latest escalation after a series of clashes between Syrian...
Op-eds
A Deal to Help Bring Syria Together Nears Collapse
In just a little more than a week, Syria could return to the civil strife its people suffered under for 13 years. A March deal to unify the militaries of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Kurdish-led Syrian...
Policy Briefs
3 Americans killed, 3 injured in Islamic State ambush attack in Palmyra, Syria
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that “two U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian were killed, and three service members were injured, as a result of an ambush by a lone ISIS [Islamic...
Op-eds
Kurds at a Crossroads as Middle East Shifts
Syrian Kurdish military leader Mazloum Abdi’s recent meeting with top Kurdish officials of northern Iraq points to the region’s shifting political landscape. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander...
Op-eds
Clashes erupt between Syrian government troops and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces
On November 19, the government-controlled Syrian army and the predominantly Kurdish, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) battled in the area of Maadan, east of Raqqa. According to Syrian...
Op-eds
U.S. Diplomacy Key in Bridging SDF-Syrian Government Gaps
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are committed to “accelerating the integration of the SDF into the Syrian state,” SDF commander Mazloum Abdi stated on November 11. The assertion followed a White...
Policy Briefs
Sharaa in Washington: A Turning Point for Syria
The question for Damascus is what comes next, with Sharaa showing that he is ready for the global prime time. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the White House on Monday for a historic...
Op-eds
Kurdish-Led SDF Reportedly Reaches Agreement to Merge With Syrian Armed Forces
Integration Agreement Reached: The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main military force in northeastern Syria, has agreed in principle to integrate into the Syrian...