Syrian Security Forces Enter Kurdish Areas As SDF Attempts To Buy Time With New Deal (Videos)

Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Interior Ministry)

The Islamist-led Syrian Transitional Government (STG) and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have begun implementing a new merger agreement, but a report by The National indicates that while ongoing processes have halted fighting in northeastern Syria, the conflict is not over yet.

The agreement, announced on January 30, repeated the SDF’s commitment to integrate into the STG and surrender the civil administration to its forces.

It was, however, vague on how much actual authority the government will have in areas that are heavily populated by Kurds.

On February 2, about 15 armored vehicles and police cars carrying about 100 Syrian internal security personnel entered the town of Kobani in the eastern Aleppo countryside. A similar force entered the city of al-Hasakah. The next day, a third government force of the same size entered the city of al-Qamishli in the northern al-Hasakah countryside.

While no problems were reported during the deployment, The National said in a report published on February 3 that the agreement didn’t solve all issues between the two sides.

“The conflict has been postponed, but not ended,” a Kurdish figure in contact with the Kurdish military leadership of the SDF told the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper.

The source revealed to the newspaper that SDF leader Mazloum Abdi accepted the latest version of the deal with the STG, which was proposed by the United States, after consulting Massoud Barzani, an Iraqi Kurdish leader.

Barzani urged Mr Abdi to “bide for time and avoid a war of attrition” that could involve Turkey. He made it clear to Mr Abdi “that he can only support him politically, not militarily”.

Last month, the SDF lost control of most Arab-majority areas in northeastern Syria — areas that the group controlled for nearly a decade after fighting ISIS there with support from the U.S.-led International Coalition — following a large-scale offensive by government forces are Arab tribes.

The source added that the SDF has interpreted the deal as “undeclared decentralisation”, under which the bulk of the security forces will be Kurds who owe allegiance to the SDF but wear central government uniforms.

Nevertheless, he expected the government to tighten the noose on the group by cutting off its supply lines from Iraq, and “penetrating” the Kurdish community to build up allies to replace the SDF.

A security source in Jordan involved in Syrian affairs told The National that the SDF did not expect to be abandoned by the U.S. “so fast” and that the STG mainly has to avoid initiating bloodshed to wean Kurds off the SDF.

“If things go smoothly [Syrian President Ahmad] al-Shara will integrate the SDF as three Kurdish units in the military. He also has to show that he will not be selective in giving out rights for Kurds. Any Kurdish Syrian who wants a passport must be welcome,” the source said.

While there is still no evidence indicating that either side is acting in bad faith, there is no doubt that the agreement is very vague and completely ignores key issues.

The STG will likely use its newly-deployed security forces in Kurdish-majority areas to penetrate the community, possibly by gaining the support of paramount Kurdish figures, even senior officials of the SDF, in way or another, as well as to stage provocations that could provide the needed pretext of a new offensive.

The SDF, which is required to redeploy all of its forces in certain bases, will not likely manage to survive a new round of fighting.

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