US Military Leaving Syria

One week ago President Trump revealed his intent to end the US occupation in Syria, claiming “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.” The immediate fallout of this seeming change of pace regarding American war-making in the Syria included the resignation of Secretary of Defense James Mattis resignation letter here and the expected choir of laments from news outlets and journalists about the devastation that could be caused by ending the occupation.

While the logistics of the withdrawal have not yet been made clear the President’s posturing foreshadows a future that is more open to US mercenary agencies (e.g. Academi, formerly Blackwater) to replace the work now done by US special forces of aiding Kurdish allies and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the region. While it is clear that the sudden withdrawal declaration (of which both Pentagon officials and SDF fighters claim to have first been notified through news outlets) leaves the SDF in a precarious situation with regards to ISIS and other opposition forces as well as the Syrian regime run by President Bashar al-Asaad (backed strongly by Russian forces), another looming threat lies in the nearby regime in Turkey where President Erdogan has claimed, after a meeting with President Trump, that Turkey will hold off on eliminating the Kurds (through an invasion of Syria) for the time being. AntiWar News

It would appear that the US ending the official military presence in Syria is a response to Turkey’s planned invasion. Turkey’s facilitating of the withdrawal by holding off on the invasion until withdrawal is complete eliminates any worries about the international community or concerned citizens being able to make a fuss from potential damages to US forces by the Turkish invasion.

While the betrayal by the US of the SDF rebel forces comes as no surprise, the future for the rebel forces is as uncertain as ever. SDF has asked the international community to provide increased military support during the withdrawal of US forces and planned Turkish invasion of the region, but President Macron has remained silent about military support in the region. AP News It may be the case that President Macron’s hopes to replace Chancellor Merkel as the international leader amongst Europe compels him to send French forces (French special forces are believed to already be in the region but France has not confirmed the presence of ground forces) to aid the Kurdish rebels’ efforts. SDF has pointed out that a Turkish invasion will require them to refocus efforts on protecting Kurdish controlled areas and away from the fight against Islamic State (with some officials claiming that SDF may become so strained as to release currently held Islamic State prisoners due to the increased strain on SDF personnel).NY Times.

The future for Syrians remains uncertain in the face of threats on all sides. Abounding with US and Russian mercenaries profiting off constantly shifting alliances, forces in support of the Assad regime looking to eliminate Kurdish self-governance, and Islamic State control bringing harsh consequences for all (both from direct interaction with IS, and the fallout from international responses to IS’s acts of propaganda and terror worldwide), and the impending invasion by Turkey’s military, the beautiful experiment in Kurdistan seems poised for challenges in the near future of continued struggle for existence. If the Kurds have taught the world anything, it is that the poisonous malaise of an international community that throws its hands up and accepts the world as it is and not as it ought to be cannot and will not infect the Syrian rebels.

It is clear that the US’s official withdrawal from Syria is a continuation of US arrogance towards the world’s people, resources, and cultures, but even now we take with solemn grace the news that the immediate future claims to be one with plans for fewer wars and not more. While we work endlessly towards the future without war and away from a world with embedded foreign troops and mercenaries in every township, we make every effort to support our Kurdish allies and their tireless work in Syria.