U.S. removes diplomats from Syria mission amid SDF push
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Washington has removed several senior U.S. diplomats working on Syria in recent days, in a move linked to efforts to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state structures under President Ahmad al-Sharaa, five sources told Reuters on Thursday.
The diplomats served at the Syria Regional Platform (SRP), the de facto U.S. mission to Syria based in Istanbul, and reported to U.S. Special Envoy Thomas Barrack, a close ally of President Donald Trump.
Appointed in May, Barrack has pushed for a unified Syrian state led by al-Sharaa and has urged the SDF to finalize a March 10 agreement that would fold its forces into national security institutions.
According to one U.S. diplomatic source, “a handful” of staff were told their tours were ending as part of a reorganization. The State Department declined to comment on personnel matters but stressed that core Syria staff continue to operate from multiple locations.
Western diplomats said the shake-up appeared sudden and involuntary, with one attributing it partly to differences between SRP staff and Barrack over the SDF’s integration.
SDF leaders, who fought alongside the U.S. against ISIS during Bashar al-Assad’s rule, have resisted pressure to merge fully into state forces, citing recent flare-ups with Syrian and Turkish-backed groups and their push for decentralized governance.
Since 2012, the SRP has served as Washington’s main Syria mission, operating remotely from Turkey and other regional hubs.