US withdrawal from Syria
US President Donald Trump has announced that the country will withdraw its troops from Syria. While there are only US 2,000 troops currently stationed in Syria, the announcement will have a far-reaching consequence in the region. US adversaries, such as Russia and Iran, stand to gain most out of the decision, while US allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia will have to rethink their strategy in the region.
The US has supported the Syrian Kurdish forces namely Syrian Democratic Forces, which has fought against the IS. The SDF will be hurt by this decision as the threat of a Turkish invasion looms. In that case, SDF might attempt to reach an agreement with the Assad regime.
As Russia will become the dominant power in Syria in the absence of the US, Israel will likely spend much of its energy to appease Russia. On the other hand, while both Russia and Iran support the Syrian government, there will be competing interests for Russia and Iran in Syria when the dust settles.
Kaysar Karim
By e-mail
