📰 If assisted Syrian Kurds could function as a strategic ally of the West 

By Manish Rai syria has recently become a member of the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) following a cordial meeting between syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa and U. S. leader Donald Trump at the White House. Although the initiative is expected to enhance armed forces cooperation between the United States and the Syrian administration, damascus/" class="auto-internal-link">damascus continues to be at loggerheads with America’s longstanding partner, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic troops (sdf), which administers northeastern Syria. The Trump administration is eager to promote more amicable relations with Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s regime, even if it compromises the interests of longstanding allies such as the Syrian Kurds.

Tom Barrack, the United States Special Envoy to Syria, expressed confidence in Damascus’s decisive victory and the resolution of the crisis for all parties involved. In July of this year, he stated that Washington supports a united Syria under a single flag, a consolidated armed forces, and a unified administration, and he would oppose the implementation of federalism. Regrettably, the United States’ decision to align with the Al-Sharaa administration and diminish its backing for the SDF is based on a misguided and perilous assumption that Al-Sharaa will genuinely implement reforms in Syria. Al-Sharra has a documented history of association with extremist groups and questionable credentials.

In contrast, the SDF has partnered with coalition troops for more than ten years to combat the Islamic State, playing a substantial role in the destruction of the Syrian segment of ISIS’s self-proclaimed caliphate, sacrificing 11,000 fighters to do so.   Americans train the SDF counter-terrorism units, which have proven effective as a non-jihadist counterweight. Compared to the recently reorganized and fragmented forces of Damascus, they demonstrate greater professionalism and possess rose combat experience against ISIS. The territory governed by the Kurds in northeastern Syria, known as Rojava, possesses substantial strategic importance that is currently at risk. This region is rich in resources and oversees essential oil and gas deposits in the Deir Ezzor governorate, which are vital to Syria’s economic stability.

Consequently, Al-Sharaa remains committed to asserting its authority over these regions. The territorial authority and military strength of the SDF functioned as both a concrete and ideological barrier to the expansion of Iran and its proxies along the Shiite axis, as well as a potential resurgence of ISIS. Western nations should implement a policy of strategic safeguarding for the Syrian Kurds. This approach will enable the West to sustain substantial influence over adversarial entities and…