Evaluation

This week saw many developments surrounding the SDF and important events in Syria itself. At present, the movements of Turkish troops and the forces of the Ministry of Defence of the interim government have ceased, but this is no time to relax.

We have been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the anniversary celebrations of the fall of the regime. Large public celebrations were prohibited in the autonomous region of North-East Syria, which seemed a reasonable decision in the context of what is happening in the country: such gatherings would have been a convenient place for supporters of the Jolani regime and followers of ISIS and the SNA to carry out mass killings and provocations. Celebrating the anniversary of their triumph, the jihadists of the new Syrian army actively distributed videos with threats against SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and promises of a march on Hasakah (a city in the Jazira canton). At the moment, there are no radical changes on the front lines, and these provocations are more a reflection of the general narrative prevailing within the Jolani armed forces.

Against this backdrop, Damascus is setting new conditions for the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army. Previously, negotiations had reached a dead end, but now the interim government is proposing new rules that do not take into account the reality of the peoples of north-eastern Syria. This shows its unwillingness to seek a peaceful resolution to the situation. Autonomy remains a problem for Syria's fundamentalist government, which is aiming for a unified nation state and is prepared to eliminate dissenters. But north-eastern Syria is ready and able to defend itself, and this is stopping Jolani from military escalation, even with Turkey's support. The movements on the region's borders were an attempt to exert pressure in the negotiations and test the reaction.

The most significant news for understanding the international narrative is the bombing of three US citizens by a fighter of the new Syrian army. The US authorities claimed the suicide bomber was a former ISIS member. This time, the state's interests included good diplomatic relations with the interim government, so a Ministry of Defense soldier became ‘too radical an Islamist, who was just about to be kicked out of the military.’ We have repeatedly highlighted the hypocrisy of Western states on issues related to regions that are ‘problematic’ for the West, such as the Middle East, and this time the public once again witnessed American diplomats' outcry about ‘bloody jihadists killing our boys,’ while ignoring an important fact: the Syrian state is now ruled by these very same ‘bloody jihadists.’

Eleven thousand revolutionaries gave their lives during the Rojava Revolution. These people fell fighting for freedom, including in battles against ISIS. No country, no government talks about them as much as they talk about the three American citizens who served America's colonial project in Syria. This brings us back to the question of the value of human life: the interests of the ‘first world’ and the lives of its privileged citizens have historically been built on oppression and death within and beyond empires.

On that note, we will end our report for today. Still observing the situation, your comrades in North-East Syria.

Revolutionary greetings! 🖤