The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, called on the elected US president, Donald Trump, to keep US military forces in Syria, coinciding with his impending assumption of power on January 20 of this year.
In an interview with the British newspaper, The Guardian, on Thursday, January 9, Abdi stated that the Islamic State group has increased its strength in the Syrian desert after seizing weapons from the ousted Assad regime, while the SDF faces increasing pressure from Turkey and the factions allied with it in eastern Aleppo.
The SDF commander considered that the main factor for stability in the region is the “American presence on the ground,” adding that if the 2,000 US soldiers withdraw, it would lead to “the resurgence of many factions, including the Islamic State.”
Abdi mentioned that the Islamic State was planning to target detention centers housing its members, hoping to “take advantage” of the fact that the SDF is preoccupied with defending its territory from Turkey and the Syrian National Army (SNA) allied with it.
He pointed out that Donald Trump would recognize the risks associated with the withdrawal process, partly due to the “recent terrorist attacks in the United States itself,” referring to the attack carried out by the Islamic State in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, which “was a signal for the incoming president that the terrorist threat is increasing.”
Abdi stated that the Biden administration focused on “mediation efforts” between Turkey and the SDF, describing the situation between the two sides as “partially stable,” with only limited skirmishes occurring around the Euphrates area.
Abdi linked any scenario of US troop withdrawal to a “state of chaos,” considering that such a step could lead to “another civil war as many factions threaten the Kurds.”
The United States is the main supporter of the SDF and its political umbrella, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), and the American presence has previously prevented Turkey from launching military operations targeting the region, as Turkey considers the SDF to be an extension of groups listed on its “terrorist lists.”
On Thursday, the US Department of Defense announced that its military assets deployed in Syria would remain in their positions to prevent the Islamic State from reconstituting itself.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated to the Associated Press that the country needs to keep its forces in Syria to prevent the Islamic State from reconstituting itself after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Estimates indicate that there are between 8,000 and 10,000 fighters from the Islamic State group in camps, “and at least 2,000 of them are considered extremely dangerous,” according to the US agency.
Withdrawal timeline
On November 6, 2024, Robert Kennedy Jr., a close ally of elected American President Donald Trump, stated that he wants to withdraw US forces from northeastern Syria.
Kennedy mentioned in his remarks to the American Tucker Carlson network, during a live broadcast covering the presidential election results, that President Trump had expressed his intention to withdraw his forces from northeastern Syria during a flight.
In September 2024, the United States established a timeline to end the military mission of the International Coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
An American-Iraqi statement reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) noted that the coalition’s mission in Iraq was decided to be concluded within a maximum period of 12 months.
To prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State’s threat from northeastern Syria, the military mission of the coalition operating in Syria will continue, based on consultations with the high military committee, until September 2026.
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