Kurdish fighters stand near burning tires at the entrance to the city of Tabqa, in Syria's Raqqa province, on Jan. 17, 2026. (Photo: AFP)
In light of the Syrian Kurds’ Jan. 30 announcement of a “comprehensive” agreement with Damascus — including the gradual integration of their forces and administration into the state — we invite you to reread this article, published on Jan. 20, 2025.About several meters high, a rifle slung over its shoulder and gaze fixed on the horizon, the statue of the Kurdish woman fighter still towers over the square — but for only a few seconds. A small group of supporters of Syria’s new authorities quickly set upon it: some pulling it down with a rope, others smashing it with sledgehammers, until it wobbles and collapses amid triumphant cheering.Erected in Tabqa — a city in Raqqa province retaken from the Islamic State (IS) by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2017 — the concrete figure embodied everything that had appealed to the West when...
In light of the Syrian Kurds’ Jan. 30 announcement of a “comprehensive” agreement with Damascus — including the gradual integration of their forces and administration into the state — we invite you to reread this article, published on Jan. 20, 2025.About several meters high, a rifle slung over its shoulder and gaze fixed on the horizon, the statue of the Kurdish woman fighter still towers over the square — but for only a few seconds. A small group of supporters of Syria’s new authorities quickly set upon it: some pulling it down with a rope, others smashing it with sledgehammers, until it wobbles and collapses amid triumphant cheering.Erected in Tabqa — a city in Raqqa province retaken from the Islamic State (IS) by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2017 — the concrete figure embodied everything that had appealed to...
Macron tells Aoun will hold 'consultations' to prepare for post-UNIFIL period