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A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 7 January 2019

With US leaving, rival powers seek to move into Syria’s east

By SARAH EL DEEB armed and equipped by Turkey is equally concerned
Associated Press the U.S.-led coalition, is over the prospect of Syr-
BEIRUT (AP) — The planned unlikely to disappear. In- ian government control
U.S. troop withdrawal opens stead, it is seeking an ar- over the east. In the past,
up a void in the north and rangement with Assad to Damascus has used the
east of Syria, and the con- continue operating as the Kurdish militia as leverage
flicts and rivalries among all government extends con- against Ankara and could
the powers in the Middle trol over the territory. do so again. For nearly
East are converging to fill it. Syrian officials boast that 20 years, Syria hosted the
The American decision to the withdrawal is a defeat main Kurdish leader until he
pull out its 2,000 troops has to America. Controlling was captured in 1998, now
forced a reassessment of the east would help seal imprisoned in Turkey.
old alliances and partner- Assad’s victory in the civil ___
ships. The Syrian govern- war. The American move IRAN and ISRAEL
ment, the Kurds, Russia, also accelerates a trend A Syrian government move
Iran, Israel and Turkey have by Arab states to normalize east means the spread of
all had a hand in the coun- In this file photo taken on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, a relations with Assad, whom Iran as well. It will dramati-
try’s nearly eight-year war member of the Kurdish internal security forces holds his weapon they shunned for years. cally widen the land cor-
— each in a way, fighting during a patrol in Manbij, north Syria. The United Arab Emirates, ridor where Iran enjoys
its own war for its own rea- Associated Press a close U.S. and Saudi ally, free rein for its allied fight-
sons within Syria. Now all of around a third of Syria, sought goal of autonomy. recently reopened its em- ers, weapons and supplies
those conflicts play out in forming a rough triangle. To For the U.S., the troop pres- bassy in Damascus. across Iraq and Syria to
the territory being aban- the north is the border with ence ensured American ___ Lebanon. Already, Iranian-
doned by the Americans, Turkey, to the east the bor- influence. Turkey sees Kurd- TURKEY vs. KURDS, RUSSIA backed militias have ex-
creating new tensions, po- der with Iraq, and the third ish autonomy on its border and ASSAD panded control over areas
tential chaos and blood- side is the Euphrates River. as an existential threat and Turkey’s military, along with near Syria’s border with
shed. This was the heart of the has vowed to prevent this, some 15,000 allied Syrian Iraq and freely cross back
To reassure jittery allies, Islamic State group’s foot- accusing the U.S. of em- rebel fighters, is poised to and forth.
Washington sent national hold in Syria until the United powering the militia Ankara launch an offensive in the That has alarmed Israel. The
security adviser John Bolton States partnered with a says is linked to Kurdish in- east to break Kurdish con- likely result will be increased
to Israel on Sunday, where Kurdish militia, creating a surgents in Turkey. trol over the border. Israeli airstrikes against sus-
he said U.S. troops will not force of some 60,000 fight- ___ But an offensive risks creat- pected Iranian-linked tar-
leave northeastern Syria ers —including some Syrian ASSAD and RUSSIA ing friction with Russia. In gets in Syria.
until IS militants are defeat- Arabs and Christian Assyr- Without the Americans, the particular, it could wreck ___
ed and American-allied ians — that wrested it away door opens for Assad and a cease-fire agreement THE U.S., TURKEY and the IS-
Kurdish fighters are pro- from the militants. his Russian backers to move the two reached over Idlib, LAMIC STATE GROUP
tected. The comments put The territory is strategically in. the northwestern province President Donald Trump dis-
the brakes on a withdrawal important. For the Syrian “The only obstacle pre- held by rebels and Islamic missed the idea that the U.S.
abruptly announced last government of President venting Assad from gain- militants where Turkey has needs influence in the con-
month and initially expect- Bashar Assad and its allies ing control of the east was influence — enabling a Syr- flict, saying Syria was noth-
ed to be completed within Russia and Iran, regaining it the U.S. presence and the ian government assault on ing but “sand and death.”
weeks. The announcement means re-establishing sov- cover that it provided to the province. Russian and He claims the U.S. mission
upset regional allies and ereignty. The territory was the (Kurdish militia). With Turkish officials have been there — to fight IS — has
Pentagon officials who once the source of Syria’s that gone ... there is sim- holding talks, trying to avert largely been completed.
disagreed with the assess- wheat and barley, its dams ply no real challenge that tensions. But IS still holds pockets and
ment that IS was defeated. generated electricity and would prevent the regime “A massive Turkish opera- U.S.-led coalition officials
“We’re going to be remov- it holds some of Syria’s rich- from re-establishing control tion is not in Russia’s inter- warn it could surge again.
ing our troops. I never said est oil resources. Without it, over those areas,” said Ay- est. It destabilizes the situa- Bolton told reporters in Je-
we’re doing it that quick- Assad will have a harder ham Kamel, of the Eurasia tion, risks undermining Idlib rusalem that the conditions
ly,” Trump told reporters in time with reconstruction group. agreements and talks on for a U.S. troop withdrawal
Washington Sunday. and operating long term. Abandoned by the U.S., the reconstruction. Plus, if Tur- include the defeat of rem-
Here is a look at what’s at For the same reasons, it’s Kurdish fighters are forced key decides to capture all nants of IS in Syria, and pro-
stake. been a source of income to move toward Russia of the Kurdish areas it will tections for Kurdish militias
___ for the Kurdish militia. and Assad for protection inevitably clash with Russia who have fought along-
THE TERRITORY For the Kurds, their hold against their more feared and Iran,” said Yury Barmin, side U.S. troops against the
The area up for grabs is gave weight to their long- enemy, Turkey. Their force, a Russia analyst. extremist group.q