It has been reported that the US mediated the agreement between SDF leader Mazloum Abdi and Ahmed Shara, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which established a transitional government in Damascus. This agreement envisions the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army.
Bassam Ishak, Co-Chair of the Washington Representation of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), considered the “political arm” of the SDF, told Rudaw, “There was an international mediation effort, and the US is at the forefront of it.”
Ishak said, “In line with this agreement, the outlines of which have been announced, a committee will be formed, and negotiations will be held on the structure of the Syrian state and the role of Kurdish, Alawite, Christian, and other components. Then, the agreement will be implemented step by step.” Bassam Ishak emphasized that “the real guarantee of the agreement is how it will be implemented on the ground.”
Ishak also addressed the sectarian massacres that followed the rebellion against HTS in Syria’s coastal cities. Ishak stated, “Recent developments in the region, especially the events on the Syrian coast, require a new approach to different components. Thus, the allies of the previous regime are not given the opportunity to return to the old ways.” He commented that the events in Latakia and Tartus “carry both opportunities and risks for both sides.”
Meanwhile, according to a Rudaw report citing media close to the SDF, Mazloum Abdi traveled to Damascus in a US helicopter to sign the agreement. Abdi flew from an airport in rural Homs to the Zimer military base in rural Damascus in a US Apache helicopter. The delegation, led by Abdi, held talks with Syrian transitional government officials there.
