Pentagon says Damascus, Moscow exploit discontent in Kurdish-controlled Syria
A US military report accuses Russia and the Syrian regime of using Arab discontent in eastern Syria to undermine the Kurdish-led administration.
The US military accused Russia and the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad of attempting to leverage discontent among Arab populations in eastern Syria to undermine Kurdish-led authorities affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces.
A Pentagon Inspector General report released on Wednesday cited CENTCOM as saying that unspecified “state actors in the region” were pressuring civilian populations “to realign and renounce support for the SDF.”
CENTCOM spokesperson US Army Maj. John Rigsbee later responded to Al-Monitor’s request for clarification via email, writing that “the Syrian regime and Russia are the most active in attempting to influence local populations to sever ties with the SDF.”
Wednesday’s report also said the “existential threat” the Kurdish-led forces now face is “no longer [the Islamic State] but Turkey.” IS was territorially defeated in March 2019. The Turkish government then launched a military incursion against the SDF in October, drawing fighters away from operations against IS.
