The Washington administration is weighing a full withdrawal of American military forces from Syria, according to a report published Thursday by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing informed sources.
The deliberations come as Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, moves to consolidate control over the country’s northeast — a region currently held by the US-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Approximately 1,000 US troops remain in Syria, primarily stationed in the northeast alongside SDF units. Unnamed US officials told the WSJ that events of the past week have forced the Pentagon to question the viability of the American military mission in Syria following the SDF's defeat. Sources also cited difficulties associated with cooperating with Ahmed al-Sharaa’s forces as a complicating factor.
On January 20, Tom Barrack, the US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Representative for Syria, stated that the administration no longer views the SDF as the essential partner in the fight against the Islamic State (IS, banned in Russia). He emphasized that the United States does not intend to maintain a long-term military presence in the country.
This shift follows a truce approved by al-Sharaa on January 18 with Kurdish leadership. The agreement outlines a major transition of power where the provinces of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa will come under the full control of the Syrian interim government. Furthermore, civilian institutions established by Kurdish authorities in Hasakah province are to be incorporated into the Syrian state apparatus. The Syrian national army will assume responsibility for securing all border crossings and vital oil and gas fields in the region.
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Photo: Bernard Gagnon/Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS