Without SDF political role, a big gap in the US strategy in Syria – Analyst

in an interview with North-Press, Nicholas A. Heras, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), said that the talks of “drafting a constitution for Syria” process seems illogical, given that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who controls three major governorates are not engaged in this process. 

Heras added that the mechanism of governance in northeastern Syria is the most cohesive in Syrian territory, he pointed out that the United States continues to strengthen the experience of the SDF against Erdogan’s threats to intervene militarily the region.

The U.S. security expert said that Washington places higher expectations and dependence on the SDF, in terms that the areas controlled by the SDF should be out of the Iranian influence as well.

In his view, Nicholas Heras believes that the only logical attitude for the United States in the end is demanding a genuine and wide participation of the strongest and most cohesive group on the Syrian territories in the political scene, where Strengthening the SDF militarily to dominate and control the region, to be deprived of playing their political role, indicates a big gap in the U.S. strategy for Syria.

According to Heras, the main problem in keeping the SDF away, is that the opposition dialogue mechanism with the Syrian government, originally organized by the United Nations, has been controlled by actors from the outset, Turkey and Russia, which place great weight on its achievement and set conditions that match the both sides, which is keeping the SDF away. 

The U.S. security expert pointed out that one of the priorities of the U.S. strategy for Syria is to push towards a political transition, but at the same time Washington has a weak confidence in what we are witnessing today regarding “drafting a constitution”, which is the latest rounds in light of the fact that Russia determines the conditions and the names of those who will lead the process of drafting the constitution for Syria.

The security expert Nicholas Heras believes that Russia is doing its best to remove any anti-Assad influence, thus, the experience of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which today overtakes Assad in its strength and security apparatus and political cohesion, causes concerns to Russia, as it wishes to destroy this experience or undermine its power, through attempts of bringing the SDF into a state of submission to Damascus.

According to Heras: “The only obstacle for Russia today to take full control and secure its interests in Syria, is the Syrian Democratic Forces, in light of understandings with Turkey, and the full control over the Syrian government, of which Russia has also taken over its strengths to adopt a security system different from the one of the Syrian government”.

Mr. Heras added that, “Russia wants to build a security and military system to be affiliated by forces loyal to Russia, whether Iranian or remnants of the military and security forces of al-Assad regime”.