U.S. Forsakes Kurdish Syrian Allies, Backs New Damascus Government

Summary

The United States has effectively withdrawn its support for Syrian Kurdish forces, allowing Syria's new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa to assert governmental control over Kurdish-held territories in northeast Syria, including strategically vital oil and gas regions in Deir ez-Zor and Al-Raqqah provinces. Al-Sharaa has been actively rebuilding Syria's military from the ground up, focusing on recruiting loyal Sunni Muslims with no ties to the former Assad regime, though only 600 out of an initial 1,400 recruits successfully completed the rigorous training program that includes religious indoctrination. Minority groups, including the Alawites who dominated under Assad's six-decade rule and the Kurdish population, are explicitly excluded from serving in the new Syrian armed forces. Al-Sharaa has demonstrated notable diplomatic pragmatism by establishing peaceful relations with neighboring countries, including Israel, and has even visited the United States, becoming the first Syrian leader to do so. The recovery and stabilization of Syria's oil and gas infrastructure is a central priority, as attracting the foreign investment necessary for economic reconstruction depends heavily on maintaining internal security and political stability.