ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have no intention of “surrendering their arms to any side,” but they could “play a key role in rebuilding Syria’s future army," the spokesperson for a brigade that falls under the SDF umbrella said in an interview with Rudaw on Thursday.
"Negotiations are underway with Damascus… Specialized committees are discussing all issues that require agreement,” said Mahmoud Habib, spokesperson for the Northern Democratic Forces.
The new authorities in Damascus want all arms to be under the control of the state and are in discussion with the Kurdish-led SDF about the force’s future.
“We must wait for the results of these negotiations,” Habib said, but added that their forces could have a “positive influence” on the entire country.
Pointing to the SDF’s strategic advantages, he explained that they have “a hierarchical chain of command, extensive experience in fighting terrorist organizations, and the ability to maintain security along borders and inside cities.”
The SDF “defeated ISIS and restored security in large swathes of Syria’s geography,” and this “accumulated experience will serve as a significant asset to the future Syrian army,” he added.
SDF can be ‘core’ of the Syrian army
The SDF has the potential to be “the core” of a future Syrian army, as its forces are “the most disciplined” in Syria and “conduct significant duties [in the] northeast” of the country, Habib said.
The spokesperson stated that if they join the Syrian army, “we will not stop the issue of naming,” adding that “what matters is [having] a unified vision for the Syrian state.”
Following a swift offensive, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, on December 8 toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad who fled to Russia with his family. The new Syrian leadership in late January disbanded the army along with the Ba’ath Party that ruled the country for five decades. It also dissolved the country’s parliament, annulled its constitution, and announced an interim government, led by Sharaa as president.
The new authorities are working to bring a myriad of armed groups under their control.
The SDF is a multi-ethnic, Kurdish-led force founded in 2015 as part of the United States-led war against the Islamic State (ISIS) and is now in control of a large area in the northeast of the country.
Habib said that “a significant mélange of Arab, Assyrian, Kurdish, Syriac, and Turkmen” are fighting under the umbrella of the SDF and they could play a role in “reassuring the population and local communities in Syria."
This diversity within its ranks means the SDF “might be more accepted [than other military forces] in many areas of Syria, including the [southern Druze-majority] Suwayda province and along the coast,” said Habib.
"Many ethnic and religious groups in Syria welcome the SDF and are more accepting of them, as they can enforce peace and security without discrimination or violence,” he added.
SDF will surrender arms ‘to no one’
Regarding whether the SDF would surrender its weapons, Habib said the force “would surrender its arms to no one,” but insisted that “a rifle in the hand of the SDF is the state’s rifle.”
The SDF is currently battling Turkish-backed militia groups that have been attacking a key dam on the Euphrates River for more than a month. The force is also fighting to prevent an ISIS resurgence and several camps and prisons housing jihadists and ISIS supporters are under its control.
“If the SDF were to surrender its weapons to others, who would perform the tasks it is currently performing?" Habib asked. He pointed out that the Damascus government would need “more than 30,000 fighters” to perform the SDF’s security duties in the northeast and that laying down its arms would lead to a “dangerous security vacuum.”
No indication of US withdrawal
The SDF is a key ally of the US-led coalition against ISIS. The US has some 2,000 forces on the ground in Syria.
Habib denied these reports about a potential American withdrawal, stating, “the SDF was not made aware or notified that American forces would withdraw soon.”
“What was reported in the media or by US President Donald Trump contradicts the reality on the ground,” he said. "The day Trump said [the US] would withdraw forces from Syria, large convoys of coalition forces entered northeastern Syria, and they are not only American; there are British, French, and German forces, among other nationalities that are part of the international coalition."
Trump is believed to be considering a withdrawal from the country.
Habib says that any reduction in the number of US personnel “will be compensated by forces from other nationalities,” ensuring “there will be no change in the distribution of coalition forces in northeastern Syria."
He warned that a withdrawal of international forces from northeast Syria could allow ISIS to make a comeback or permit “Turkey to occupy this region through military incursions, among other grave turbulences.”
