Rojava official warns of risks of integrating foreign fighters into Syrian forces

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A senior member of the delegation representing northeast Syria (Rojava) in talks with Damascus on Wednesday criticized as “undesirable” the United States’ approval of a proposal by Syria’s new leadership to integrate thousands of foreign fighters into the country’s restructured armed forces.

Sanharib Barsom, co-chair of the Syriac Union Party in Syria, told Rudaw, "We, like all Syrians, were surprised by the decision to allow foreigners to be integrated into the new Syrian army we’re trying to establish in a professional, ethical manner - one far from any ideological influence."

In early December, a coalition of opposition groups, led by the now-dissolved Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – then-led by Ahmed al-Sharaa - toppled the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in a swift offensive.

By late January, the new authorities in Damascus had disbanded the Syrian army and the long-ruling Ba’ath Party, annulled the constitution, and formed an interim government headed by Sharaa.

On Monday, US Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack told Reuters that an understanding had been reached Damascus on integrating foreign fighters loyal to the new administration.

The outlet quoted three Syrian defense officials as confirming that the plan includes the integration of around 3,500 foreign fighters - mainly Uyghurs from China and neighboring countries - into a new military unit alongside Syrian nationals.

Answering Rudaw’s question about the matter on Tuesday, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce noted that Barrack “stressed that transparency is of utmost importance as the Syrian Government develops a plan [to integrate these fighters] in the days ahead.”

She emphasized that the US’s “asks of the Syrian Government have not changed in that regard.”

For his part, Barsom expressed concern over the integration of such fighters. He stated that “there were other ways to keep these foreigners out of Syria rather than integrating them into the Syrian army,” warning that “this could create many problems, as these groups have well-known ideologies, which makes this decision undesirable and incomprehensible to us.”

In a similar vein, Bassam Ishak - a senior official with the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – had also criticized the move.

Ishak told Rudaw on Tuesday that these fighters “should not be part of the Syrian army” as “they are not Syrian” and their “ideology is incompatible with the idea of a unified national army; their ideology is religious and extremist."

He further criticized the Syrian interim leadership’s rejection of a similar integration model proposed for the US-backed SDF, questioning why such a framework was acceptable for foreign fighters.

On another note, the Rojava delegation had traveled to Damascus last Saturday and met with a committee from the Syrian interim government the following day to advance implementation of the March 10 agreement between SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and interim President Sharaa.

The agreement outlines the integration of all civil and military institutions in Rojava under Syrian state administration.

Barsom, a member of the delegation, told Rudaw that “the meeting covered all major issues requiring resolution. So far, progress has been positive, including the formation of subcommittees to follow up on administrative, service-related, and security files.”

Among these subcommittees is one tasked with addressing the integration of SDF forces and handling broader internal security and military concerns, he elaborated.

The March 10 agreement also stipulates the transfer of administrative control over Rojava’s border crossings, oil and gas fields, and Qamishli International Airport to the central government.

However, Barsom noted the presence of Russian forces at Qamishli Airport, saying that “the Syrian government must find a solution with Moscow regarding the [Russian military] presence.”

“Qamishli Airport is ready, however, there are political and military issues that must be resolved for it to be activated,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, a US defense official confirmed to Rudaw on Tuesday that Washington had begun a gradual troop drawdown in Syria, reducing its military presence from approximately 2,000 troops to 1,500, with plans to reach 1,000 in the coming months.

Asked about the development, the official said, “I confirm the reports on the background.”

According to the official, US troop numbers in Syria have already been decreased from approximately 2,000 to 1,500, with plans to reach the target of 1,000 in the coming months.

Though Barsom stated he had no confirmed information on the matter, he speculated that American forces may be redeployed to the US garrison at al-Tanf base in southern Syria.