A critical panel discussion on post-ISIS security challenges, moderated by Meghan Bodette from the Kurdish Peace Institute with speakers Joseph Votel and Ilham Ahmed examined the US-Kurdish partnership and pathways to conflict resolution in Syria.
The US “must not backslide” on its support for Syrian Kurdish forces or a pursuit of a lasting settlement for Syria, top US military commander General Joseph Votel has said. General Votel is the former overall commander of the US Army’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which has overall responsibility for the Middle East and neighbouring regions.
General Votel played a key role in developing the US’s relationship with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which proved a highly effective partnership in the fight against ISIS. His comments came at the panel discussion marking five years since ISIS’ defeat as a territorial force, where he spoke alongside Elham Ahmed, who as co-chair of the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) is the most prominent political representative of the regions defended by the SDF.
“If there’s a lesson we should be learning from the Gaza conflict, it’s that problems deferred are not problems solved. We have to work as states that have interests in this region, to address these deep underlying issues that are going to result in conflict and turmoil,” General Votel said. “From a US standpoint, it’s important we must do no further backsliding… We’ve got to get behind things like the Al-Hol Action Plan and provide financial support; we’ve got to support Syrian train and equip; we’ve got to keep up the sanctions and sustain the humanitarian support we’ve provided for a long time. From a US standpoint, it’s critical we draw a line in the sand.”
The top commander’s comments came as the crucial US presence in the region appears uncertain, given increasing domestic and regional pressure on the US administration to withdraw its troops amid heightened confrontations linked to Israel’s war on Gaza. Votel stated it would be challenging to maintain a US presence in North and East Syria if their troops were forced to withdraw from Iraq, as the Iraqi Government is currently requesting. Nonetheless, he stated ongoing negotiations suggested the Iraqi authorities “saw the benefit” of maintaining a US presence in the region.
“We have to engage other stakeholders here; whether it’s Russia, the regime, Iran… This will be difficult but we have a platform to address critical issues in the region,” he added. “And we have to underscore our long-term support to the Kurds, who deserve the opportunity for representation. We see what happens when we don’t do that.”
In her comments, Ahmed placed a focus on the destabilising impact of Turkey’s heightening military operations against the regions under the SDF and AANES, emboldened by the regional crisis: “Today, Turkey is attacking the region’s infrastructure, and each day targets those same soldiers who fought against ISIS. Meanwhile, ISIS and some other groups are targeting us as well. ISIS remain strong, as shown by the recent attack in Moscow. After the Turkish attacks, our region has no electricity. People live in darkness in many areas. We found the silence of the US and the Global Coalition in the face of these attacks very strange. Now, we urgently need to rebuild and maintain the destroyed infrastructure.”
In particular, the veteran politician warned that “Turkey is planning to conduct another operation after its upcoming elections. We need a clear position from our partners to stop the Turkish attacks. Unfortunately, the US has agreed to sell Turkey F-16 warplanes. We hope the weapons given by the US to Turkey are not used against us, and that the Coalition prevents Turkey from using NATO weapons against us.”
Responding to the question of the F-16 sale, which was passed despite Congressional warnings that the warplanes would likely imperil US allies in the region, General Votel said: “I would find it hard to believe that we would enable the Turks to have a weapons system and then use it against a force we are supporting on the ground, with our own troops…. My gut feeling is that we’ve put some prohibitions in place that would prevent these systems from being directly used to target the SDF.”
Both panellists also discussed the new Social Contract, through which the AANES has codified the democratic, women-led political programme through which it now governs millions of Kurds, Arabs and minorities throughout the region. “I applaud the efforts to sow a measure of stability into the situation, with elections, with conflict resolution,” General Votel said. “Unfortunately, what’s missing is an international effort.”
