Syria’s New Defense Minister Rejects Kurdish SDF Demand for Military Bloc

Syria’s newly appointed Defense Minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, has said that US-backed Kurdish fighters in the country’s northeast cannot maintain their own military bloc within the Syrian armed forces, Al Jazeera reports, citing Reuters.

Abu Qasra emphasized that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been delaying progress on this critical integration issue.

The SDF, which has established a semi-autonomous zone during Syria’s 14-year conflict, has been engaged in talks with the new transitional government in Damascus, which came into power after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad on December 8th.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi had previously stated that one of their key demands was for a decentralized administrative structure and integration into the Syrian Ministry of Defense as “a military bloc” without dissolving their forces. However, Minister Abu Qasra rejected this proposition, asserting that such integration must occur under a unified command.

Integrating the SDF has proven to be a complex challenge for the new government. While the US considers the SDF a crucial ally in the fight against ISIL (ISIS), neighboring Turkey views them as a national security threat due to their alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

According to Abu Qasra, he has met with SDF leaders but accuses them of “procrastinating” in the integration talks. He insists that incorporating the SDF into the Ministry of Defense, like other former rebel factions, is “a right of the Syrian state.”

Abu Qasra’s appointment to the transitional government came roughly two weeks after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group to which he belongs, led the offensive that toppled al-Assad. He stated that he hopes to complete the integration process, including making key military appointments, by March 1st, when the transitional government’s term is set to conclude.

Responding to criticism that a transitional council should not be making such significant appointments and sweeping changes to military infrastructure, he stated that “security issues” have compelled the new government to prioritize the matter.

The new administration has also faced criticism for its decision to grant military ranks to some foreigners, including individuals from Egypt and Jordan. This has raised questions about the composition and command structure of the new Syrian military.