“The key is to help the Syrian Democratic Forces [and] the Syrian Democratic Council with the issue of security, particularly as they transition from a focus on military operations to a focus on counterterrorism against ISIS,” Ambassador Roebuck told reporters following his meeting with officials of the Autonomous Administration in Northern Syria (NES).
Roebuck and his delegation were received by both co-chairs of the NES Executive Council, Abid Hamid al-Muhbash and Berivan Khalid.
US forces in Syria “want to strengthen our relations with the Syrian Democratic Forces [and] the Autonomous Administration, and we got a very good discussion today on the importance of restoring essential services to people and strengthen the security,” Roebuck said.
Northern Syria’s infrastructure was severely damaged during the war with ISIS, which began in 2014 and concluded with the group’s defeat in Baghouz in March this year. Water and electrical shortages remain a common occurrence in the summer months.
The lack of basic services has led to protests in Arab-populated areas like Deir ez-Zor province, where locals have accused the Kurdish administration of discrimination.
The SDF invited 70 Syrian clans to a forum in Ain Issa in May in a bid to improve relations.
Some tribal leaders boycotted the forum. For those who attended, their prime concerns were the lack of security and basic services.
Although ISIS has lost all of its territory in both Iraq and Syria, its sleeper cells continue to launch attacks on security forces.
The US-backed SDF led the ground war against ISIS, supported by coalition airpower and special forces.
This relationship has concerned Turkey, which considers the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) – the backbone of the SDF – as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has fought a decades long conflict with the Turkish state.
The SDF currently holds a large number of ISIS foreign fighters, and has called on western countries to take back their citizens. Earlier this year it handed over 11 French nationals captured in Syria to stand trial in Baghdad. Iraq has offered to prosecute foreign fighters in exchange for billions of dollars in aid.
Western countries are reluctant to take back their nationals as they fear prosecutors will not be able to obtain sufficient evidence to secure a conviction.
Roebuck said Wednesday he “did not focus” on this issue with the Kurdish officials.
“We really did not focus on this issue today … The issue of the detainees is a serious one. It is a security issue. We will work closely with our partners [NES] to ensure that people are held securely and humanely,” he added.
