ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The continued presence of American troops in Syria is critical for ensuring the country’s stability and preventing the resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS), a former United States diplomat and United Nations official told Rudaw on Wednesday.
Peter Galbraith, who served as a US ambassador and an assistant secretary-general of the UN, emphasized the importance of having “some [American] troops there, and to have the ability to use air power to strike at Daesh [ISIS] as it reemerges."
He explained that “the situation in Syria creates new opportunities” for ISIS to make a comeback and pointed out that the number of US troops on the ground is secondary to maintaining a foothold.
“As long as there are enough [troops] to carry out the mission, to have a presence, and to coordinate airstrikes, whether it’s 2,000 or 800, that’s not hugely important,” Galbraith argued.
Following a swift offensive, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on December 8 toppled the regime of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
The US increased the number of its troops in Syria from 900 to around 2,000 late last year. Washington then described the deployment as a temporary measure to prevent ISIS from taking advantage of the changing security landscape in Syria to make a comeback.
Mazloum Abdi, the head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - which has been the US-led coalition’s main partner in the fight against ISIS in Syria - noted in January that approximately 10,000 ISIS fighters are imprisoned in Syria, with 2,000 considered "highly dangerous." He stressed the need to intensify efforts against ISIS to avoid its resurgence.
Bassam Ishaq, a US-based member of the Syrian Democratic Council's (SDC) Presidential Council, told Rudaw on Monday that the US is planning to relocate its troops in Syria to two new military bases - one near Turkey-held areas and another near the Syria-Iraq border.
The SDC serves as the SDF’s political wing.
Ishaq added that while US troops will be gradually reduced, they will remain at a minimum of 400 soldiers due to a congressional provision limiting troop withdrawal.
Since the fall of Assad, Turkey, a longtime supporter of the anti-Assad Syrian opposition, has emerged as a key ally of the new Syrian leadership, led by HTS former leader and now Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
According to Galbraith, Turkey “has had direct influence on Sharaa and the HTS because it supported them.” However, he suggested that Syria’s interim President Sharaa is likely to shift farther from Turkey and closer to Arab states, which align better with Syria’s ideological and cultural values.
As for Israel, since Assad’s ouster, it has scrambled to destroy Syria’s military stockpiles. It has also sent troops across the border into a buffer zone east of the annexed Golan Heights, justifying the move as a precaution amid the political instability in Syria.
Despite the escalation, Galbraith saw a potential opportunity for peace negotiations between Syria and Israel. “This is an opportunity to reach a peace agreement,” he said, suggesting it could involve the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Syrian territory and the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Sharaa, who was appointed interim president in late January, had promised to form an "inclusive transitional government" that reflects Syria’s diversity. However, his administration has faced criticism for marginalizing minority groups, including the Kurds.
A key point of contention is the interim constitution approved by Sharaa in mid-March.
The 53-article document centers on Islamic jurisprudence, stipulates that the president must be Muslim, and sets a five-year transitional period. It also retains the country’s name as the Syrian "Arab" Republic and grants Sharaa exclusive executive powers, including the ability to appoint one-third of the legislature and select judges to the constitutional court.
Kurds were quick to condemn the constitution as "exclusionary" soon after its approval, asking for a redraft. Galbraith stressed that the Kurds should demand that Syria’s new constitution be drafted by an elected constituent assembly, not one appointed by Sharaa.
He told Rudaw that “Syrian Kurds must be clear about their demands, particularly insisting that the country’s new constitution be drafted by an elected constituent assembly and not appointed by Sharaa.”
“A constitution must come from bargaining among Syria’s diverse communities to ensure broad representation,” Galbraith said, noting that 35 to 40 percent of Syria’s population consists of Kurds, Alawites, Christians, and Druze, while 60 to 65 percent are Sunni Arabs, many of whom are secular. “This way, you won’t end up with an Islamist constitution,” he added.
Galbraith concluded, “The Kurds should insist on a democratic process and ensure that the people of Syria decide their future.”
