American consultancy company opens office in Rojava, aims to create jobs

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An American consultancy company, led by a former spokesperson for the global coalition against the Islamic State, has opened an office in Qamishli, northeast Syria (Rojava) to help US firms establish businesses in the Kurdish enclave. The company aims to create many jobs for locals, its CEO told Rudaw English on Tuesday.

“In Syria, we are working on two different projects - on the commercial side [and] on the private business side. We're working to help. We're consulting with oil and gas companies to help them establish operations in northeastern Syria by helping them understand the region and also gaining permissions from government officials for the companies to establish their business licenses,” Myles Caggins, CEO of the Words Warriors, said. 

“We are also, separate from the private sector, on the government side, working with the US government's Corps of Engineers,” he added. 

Caggins built strong ties with the Kurdish administration in Rojava and its de facto military force, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), during his 14-month tenure as the spokesperson for the global coalition in 2019 and 2020. He is currently the spokesperson for the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR), an umbrella group of oil producers operating in the Kurdistan Region. 

The retired US colonel noted that it is important for the foreign companies to have good relations with the Kurdish administration in northeast Syria and the transitional government in Damascus. He stated that his company will leverage its “strong” ties with the Rojava administration and the SDF to build relations with its clients who are willing to invest in the Kurdish-governed areas in Syria. 

The SDF controls one third of Syria, which includes most oil fields of the country. 

Caggins’ company will also be involved in construction work. 

“We are also partnered with construction companies in northeastern Syria, and we work on U.S. Army Corps of Engineer projects on the US Army and global coalition bases in Syria. So we're doing small construction projects. And what my company does is bring in American experts who have certain technical training,” he stated. 

Words Warriors aims to create numerous job opportunities in Rojava, primarily relying on the local workforce.

“So in all instances, at least 90 percent of the work is done by people from North and East Syria. And then maybe my company comes in and brings a few advisors, engineers, quality assurance people who… have different certifications and licenses from the United States that these licenses and credentials and experience helps them complete projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” the company’s CEO said. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says on its website that it has nearly 37,000 “dedicated Civilians and Soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 130 countries worldwide.”

Words Warriors said in a post on LinkedIn in recent days that it is forging relations between American companies and local parties, adding that their team in Rojava recently held a meeting with senior Kurdish officials “as part of ongoing discussions to explore collaboration on sustainable energy, oil, and infrastructure initiatives that will support long-term economic stability for all Syrians.”