Shafaq News/ Syria’s civil war ended abruptly in December as HayatTahrir Al-Sham (HTS) ousted President Bashar Al-Assad, bringing his family'ssix-decade rule to a swift collapse. With HTS leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa already atthe helm of a transitional government, uncertainty looms over his ability tounify the country and curb extremist elements.
According to a report by the US magazine Foreign Affairs, Washington hassupported a de facto autonomous administration in northeast Syria since 2014,primarily composed of Kurdish factions led by the Syrian Democratic Forces(SDF), which fought against Syrian government forces, Turkiye, Turkish-backedarmed groups, and factions linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
At the same time, the US maintains approximately 2,000 troops andcontractors at around 12 operational points and small bases in eastern Syria tosupport SDF efforts in eliminating ISIS and deterring Turkish attacks.
Despite this support, ISIS remains active in Syria. However, with theAl-Assad regime no longer in power, Washington could opt to work with a moreinfluential and effective partner in the fight against ISIS: the new Syriangovernment in Damascus, the report added.
The report also urged Washington to assist the Damascus government instabilizing Syria by easing sanctions. Without new investments, Syria willremain incapable of fully defeating ISIS—just as the weakened Al-Assadgovernment failed to do between 2017 and 2024.
While this idea may seem unusual—given Washington's designation of HTSas a terrorist organization—the Foreign Affairs report argued that suchclassifications have not prevented US cooperation with the People’s ProtectionUnits (YPG), a Kurdish faction affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party(PKK), which the US also considers a terrorist group.
HTS leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa insists that the group has changed anddistanced itself from jihadist organizations. However, many in Washingtonremain skeptical that HTS has genuinely abandoned terrorism or its hardlineideological worldview, the report stated. It remains uncertain how Al-Sharaa,as Syria’s transitional president, would unify a divided nation and restrainthe more radical elements within HTS.
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