Authored by Jason Ditz via AntiWar.com,
The Syrian government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been emphasizing the importance of peaceful unity in Syria, stating that the Syrian people are weary of war and that unity should be achieved through understanding rather than military force, as reported by Middle East Eye.
Despite these statements, recent actions by the Syrian government paint a different picture. Following the rejection of Kurdish integration talks and the exclusion of Druze representatives from discussions on violence in Druze territory, the government is now gearing up for a significant offensive against the Kurds, with plans to deploy around 50,000 troops to capture the Raqqa and Deir Ezzor Governorates from the Kurdish-led SDF, as detailed in a report by The Cradle.
While the SDF has expressed willingness to integrate into the Syrian military, disagreements over the process have slowed down the progress. The US, a long-time supporter of the SDF, has criticized the delays and urged the Kurds to accept integration, with envoy Tom Barrack stating that federalism “doesn’t work,” as reported in AntiWar.com.
Notably, the US has shifted its stance towards Syria, aligning more closely with President Sharaa and withdrawing most of its forces from Kurdish territory. The impending offensive against the SDF is anticipated to take place before October, contingent on a green light from the US, according to The National News.
Map: the height of the Rojava project prior to fuller Turkish military cross-border intervention of the past years…
This shift in US policy may be attributed to the current administration’s focus on uniting Syria behind the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the narrative that the Kurds are hindering the unification process. As a result, the US could potentially allow Syria to proceed with the offensive against their former allies, the Kurds.
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