Syrian Kurdish forces 'critical' to blocking IS resurgence: Blinken

AMMAN, Jordan,— U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday the critical role of a Washington-backed Kurdish-led force in Syrian Kurdistan in preventing the return of the Islamic State (ISIS).

Blinken’s comments were made during a visit to Jordan as part of his ongoing efforts to address the situation in Syria. He highlighted the importance of ensuring that ISIS does not regain a foothold in the country as part of broader efforts to stabilize Syria.

“The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are critical to preventing ISIS from re-emerging,” Blinken said.

He also mentioned that the U.S. wants to see a transition in Syria toward a more positive future, but that this would require continued efforts to combat ISIS.

Blinken made these remarks shortly before traveling to Turkey, where he was scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey has long been a rival to the SDF, as it sees the group as closely linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group that has been involved in a decades-long insurgency against Turkey.

The U.S. has supported the SDF, the de facto army of the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration, as a key ally in the fight against ISIS. The SDF was the most effective force in defeating ISIS in 2019, after leading an offensive that destroyed the group’s self-declared caliphate in Syria.

However, the U.S. backing of the SDF has caused tension with Turkey, which is the only country that considers the SDF a “terrorist” organization due to its alleged links to the PKK. The SDF denies these claims.

Despite these tensions, Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. position, stating that while Turkey has legitimate security concerns, the U.S. would continue its partnership with the SDF.

“We respect Turkey’s right to protect itself against terrorism, but we also want to avoid sparking further conflict within Syria,” he said.

Since 2016, Turkish forces and their Syrian Islamist allies, the Syrian National Army, have controlled a stretch of territory in the Kurdish region in northern Syria, following their initiation of operations against Kurdish fighters, particularly the Syrian Kurdish People’s Defence Units (YPG), which are a key component of the SDF.

In the past few days, 218 people have been killed in Syria’s ongoing conflict between pro-Turkey Islamist SNA militants and Kurdish forces, following an assault by Turkish-backed Syrian Islamist mercenary SNA forces on the northern Manbij area.

The SDF, led by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), has controlled large areas in northeastern Syria. This region, known as Syrian Kurdistan or Rojava, has operated under a system of decentralized self-rule, emphasizing equality and environmental responsibility.

The PYD’s military wing, the YPG, which is the backbone of the SDF, was a key force in the battle against ISIS, and U.S. support has included providing arms to Kurdish fighters.

Since the fall of the ISIS caliphate in 2019, the SDF has continued to hold thousands of suspected ISIS fighters in its prisons.

Syrian Kurdish officials say that more than 21,000 Kurdish male and female fighters have lost their lives in the fight against ISIS, which, at one point, controlled a large swath of land in Syria and Iraq.

While Blinken’s visit to Jordan and Turkey aimed to address the broader challenges in Syria, it also underscored the complex geopolitical dynamics involving Kurdish forces, Turkey, and the ongoing fight against ISIS.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)