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WASHINGTON DC - US lawmakers say they cautiously support Syria’s post-Assad transition, but warned that the new leadership in Damascus must protect minority rights, include Kurds in the political process, and prevent renewed instability, stressing that much work remains before trust can be fully established.
“I certainly support the rights of all people to self-determination,” Congressman Tom McClintock told Rudaw on Tuesday.
Following a swift offensive in early December last year, a coalition of opposition forces led by the now-dissolved jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime, ending nearly 14 years of civil war. In late January, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was appointed interim president and pledged to pursue an inclusive political process.
“It’s very tough for the new government in Damascus, and the United States, Europe, Regional allies, want to try to give Syria a chance, but we are on alert about the safety of Syrian citizens to limit any access of resurgence of both the Islamic State [ISIS], the Iranain revolutionary guards or the Russians that in any way try to destabilize Syria,” French Hill, another congressman, said.
Hill said minority protection would be key for the new authorities.
“I am hopeful… I think it is critical that the new government in Damascus protect minority rights of Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, the Druze, the Sunni, the Shia, the Alawites, all need a voice at the table in the future of Syria,” he said.
Concerns were also raised over the exclusion of Kurds from decision-making in Damascus.
“Frankly, they have work to do, a lot of work to do in Syria; they haven’t included the [Syrian Democratic Forces] SDF yet, they haven’t, the Kurds are not involved at all, we see these attacks by members of the Syrian armed forces [on the SDF],” Congressman Keith Self said.
On March 10, Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led SDF, and interim President Sharaa signed an agreement to bring civil and military institutions in Rojava under centralized state control and establish a nationwide ceasefire. Talks on implementation continue while both sides have been trading accusations of targeting each other’s positions.
“There is a lot of work to do to consolidate, into a… liberty-loving government there,” Self said.
Sharaa’s government has faced growing criticism over its governing approach. In March, he signed a constitutional declaration emphasizing Islamic jurisprudence, prompting backlash from Syria’s Christian, Druze, Kurdish, and Alawite communities, who viewed it as exclusionary. His highly centralized style of governance has also drawn condemnation.
Syria’s Kurdish, Alawite, and Druze communities have called for a decentralized system, citing decades of marginalization under Assad’s Baathist rule.
“I think everyone has that right [to self-determination] because there is millions of Kurds… but then you have got our allies, Turkey for instance, you have got Syria, we are trying to support the new government if we can,” Self said.
Lawmakers also said the interim leadership has taken some positive steps, but warned that major challenges remain.
Lance Gooden said that Sharaa “has shown some good faith efforts… but I think there is a lot of work to do.”
“We need to be there for those minorities across Syria and ensure that they have rights and that they are protected and that the violence stops,” Gooden said.
Violence has persisted across Syria. In mid-July, deadly clashes erupted between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes in southern Suwayda province, escalating with the involvement of Syrian government forces before a ceasefire was reached on July 19. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that nearly 2,000 people were killed, including around 765 Druze civilians, many executed by defense and interior ministry forces.
In March, fighting in Alawite-majority coastal regions broke out after Assad loyalists attacked forces aligned with the interim leadership, leaving 1,700 people dead - mostly Alawite civilians - with many casualties attributed to pro-government forces.
“I think we need to be hesitant to be overly trusting,” Gooden said.
Syria officially joined the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in November, following a landmark meeting between US President Donald Trump and Sharaa at the White House - the first such meeting with a Syrian leader in more than eight decades.
On Saturday, two US soldiers and a civilian were killed in an ambush in Syria’s central Homs province, while three other American troops and two members of Syrian security forces were wounded, according to the Pentagon and Syrian state media.
Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba told state-run al-Ikhbariya TV that an assessment issued on December 10 regarding the perpetrator indicated that he may hold extremist ideas, adding that a decision regarding him was scheduled to be issued “tomorrow, as it is the first day of work in the week,” but the attack happened before the assessment could take place.
“I have full faith and trust in President Trump to make sure this doesn’t happen again and punish the wrongdoers,” he added.
Lawmakers also underscored the need to maintain pressure on ISIS.
“I think it shows the need for us continue to work against ISIS in eastern Syria, in northeastern Syria,” Congressman Brad Sherman said.
The SDF is the de facto Kurdish-led army in northeastern Syria (Rojava) and is the main on-ground ally of the US against ISIS.
“The Kurds have been the friends of America for a long time, and we have got to be there for the Kurds,” he added.
On Saturday, an SDF spokesperson on X reaffirmed readiness to pursue ISIS in the area where the US personnel had been killed and defeat it.
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