Mazloum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces. (Credit: AFP)
More than a month after the fall of Syrian Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — backed by Washington in its fight against the Islamic State (IS) — continues to reject the disarmament and dissolution of his troops, despite demands from the new government in Damascus and its Turkish ally.While Abdi claims to be open to negotiations, his desire to maintain a degree of autonomy over the vast territories of northeastern Syria appears incompatible with the new Damascus authorities’ determination to dismantle all armed groups in the country and form a future unified national army.“The door to negotiation is currently open with SDF. But if we are forced to resort to force, we are ready,” Syrian Defense Minister Mourhaf Abou Qasra warned last Wednesday.As the political future of the Kurds...
More than a month after the fall of Syrian Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — backed by Washington in its fight against the Islamic State (IS) — continues to reject the disarmament and dissolution of his troops, despite demands from the new government in Damascus and its Turkish ally.While Abdi claims to be open to negotiations, his desire to maintain a degree of autonomy over the vast territories of northeastern Syria appears incompatible with the new Damascus authorities’ determination to dismantle all armed groups in the country and form a future unified national army.“The door to negotiation is currently open with SDF. But if we are forced to resort to force, we are ready,” Syrian Defense Minister Mourhaf Abou Qasra warned last Wednesday.As the political future of...