The United States has turned away from its long-time allies, the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, and thrown its support behind the new government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Seeking a way to fight the group without putting US troops on the front lines, the United States partnered with a Kurdish militia. The United States established close ties with al-Sharaa and sought to bring the two groups to work together. Al-Sharaa complained that the Kurdish side kept augmenting its demands while making no move to withdraw from Arab-majority areas. The Kurds, given their more secular outlook, could help dilute the Islamist character of Syria’s new government, Xelil said, a goal many thought that the United States shared.

Source: The Irish Times January 23, 2026 19:36 UTC