U.S. Syrian envoy: Main reason for Kurdish SDF 'expired'

U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack on Tuesday urged the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to accept an agreement with Damascus to integrate into the new government amid a rapid offensive on their territory.

The SDF has acted as a largely autonomous government in eastern Syria with some support from the U.S. during the civil war. After the fall of the Assad regime, the new government has sought to reintegrate other factions into the centralized authority. The SDF, however, resisted, leading to a lightning offensive from Damascus in recent days that has seen SDF holding evaporate.

In a statement to social media, Barrack said that the "original purpose of the SDF as the primary anti-ISIS force on the ground has largely expired" in light of the Al-Sharaa government's cooperation with Washington.

He further urged the Kurds to accept an agreement since Damascus was offering citizenship rights and constitutional protections for the Kurds. Numerous demonstrations have erupted in the Kurdish parts of Iraq, including one outside the U.S. Consulate in Erbil. Iraqi Kurds are livid with the U.S. for seemingly abandoning their Syrian co-ethnics.

Interim Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa (aka Al-Jolani) was also the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Al-Qaeda derivative. Since taking power, however, he has attempted to pivot to a pro-western position in a bid to secure economic concessions for rebuilding the nation.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.