Forces of democratic Syria: the beginning of the new US strategy in the face of ISIS
The United States was able to promote its new strategy in dealing with the organization and the pursuit of the Islamic state in Syria by providing support and assistance to the formation of which was announced in the twelfth of October 2015 in the city of Maalikis in the province of Hasaka in the northeast of Syria, titled ( forces of democratic Syria ) and which was one of its priorities and its stated goals to fight and stop the creep and expansion of state regulation fighters , this announcement which came in harmony with the objectives of the international coalition and after the Russian intervention in Syrian territory to form an important factor and a major event in the military conflict and dispute taking place now between the existing military factions in the Syrian field, it also forms an important event in terms of application of the new strategy adopted by the US administration and its intelligence and military apparatus .
These forces consist of a group of fighters and factions operating in northern Syria, including Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen forces and Syriac Assyrian according to the following designations:
1. Forces of the protection of the Kurdish people: It is the Kurdish forces belong to the leadership of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union party .
2.Forces of the protection of women: It is a branch of forces belong to the forces of people protection for the Kurds.
3. Room of Euphrates operations: a group includes the Kurdish security forces with a faction of the people of the Syrian city of Raqqa.
4. The military Syriac council : It is a group of Syriac fighters belong to the Syriac Union Party and its activities and its origins in the Syrian city of Qamishli.
5. The courageous forces ( Alsnaded ) : Arab tribal forces under the command of Sheikh Hamidi Adham Jarba.
6.Agroup of al-jazeera brigades : includes a number of Arab tribal fighters from the people of the Ras al-Ain area belong to the province of Syrian Hasaka.
Goals and objectives of the formation:
1.The formation endeavors to fight the organization the Islamic state on Syrian territory and to pursue and liquidate its leaders .
2.Retaking lands , cities and important districts seized by the organization and the expansion of their deployment in Syrian territory to be the substitute for the fighters of ISIS.
3.Enhancing the position of the formation and consider it an important element and has a direct impact on the current ongoing conflict on the Syrian arena and to participate in any future political settlement in Syria.
4. To send a clear message that all sects and ethnic groups and religions are invited to participate in this formation, which calls for the unity of the Syrian territory and enhance the strength and durability of the relationship between the Syrian people.
5. The formation calls for the establishment of a multi-political system and non- central governance and it is running democratically of political pluralism which is the foreseeable future for the rule in Syria.
The reasons and motives for the announcement of this formation:
1.To create balance in Turkey’s Kurdish political interests ,and this formation sends a reassuring message for the Turks that the Syria territories are not controlled by Kurds in the north and by the presence of Arab forces in this formation, which removes suspicion and mistrust among Turkish politicians .
2.To grant Kurds a major power to enhance their status and keep them away from the political subordination of the Syrian regime and its military organs and institutions and give them a lot of confidence to lead themselves.
3.Ruling out the idea of the Islamic control of the forces and factions on the overall situation in Syria, especially the United States looks in a suspicion and doubt to the relationship between the (Ahrar al-Sham movement) with organizations of Al-Nusra Front.
4. Ruling out to create a secure area near the Turkish-Syrian border, a demand long sought by Turks , which was opposed by the Americans and Russians, but everyone agrees that the control of the city of Raqqa, which is one of the main objectives of this formation is capable of canceling the idea of safe area.
- Taking over the al Riga city and isolate it from the private supply lines for the organization of the Islamic state and prevent the delivery of it to the Kurds alone , something that comforts the Turks and remove their fears of the impact and the extension of Kurdish power.
6. New US strategy calling for the support of any faction or the formation fighting the organization of the Islamic state and the transition from training fighters stage to provide them with military and tactical support and provide them with weapons and equipments that will help them to confront the ISIS and causing losses to it.
7. The persuasion of the United States of America that this formation is a natural and right nucleus for the future vie of rule in Syria by it democratic frameworks and aims to contain all the Syrian people.
8.The US administration endeavors of its support for these groups to achieve a military victory and the political anticipation to prevent Russians from work toward delivery areas evacuated by state regulation of Islamic fighters and give it to the Syrian army.
The most important practical steps achieved by these forces:
as a result of US support and involvement of the international coalition forces to provide air support for combat field events undertaken by Syria democratic forces noting that these forces have been able to achieve field progress on the Syrian territory in accordance with the following:
1. On the 30th of October 2015 it was able to recover all the areas under the control of ISIS in the countryside of the southern province of Hasaka.
2. On the 23th of December 2015 , all areas, located in the countryside of the southern Ain al Arab east of the Euphrates River had been retaken and the withdrawal of fighters of ISIS from it .
3.On the 26th of December 2015 , the control of the site and facilities of the strategic October dam on the Euphrates River in the area (Manbej) of the countryside of Aleppo after heavy clashes with its fighters led to their withdrawal and the control of advanced forces on (8) major villages surrounding the area of the dam, which contains (6) important and major generating units that supply the city of Aleppo with electric power.
This progress and the actual control of these forces on the ground and the the American support and backing represented by air support and deliver weapons and ammunition make us to look at the developments of the next events in Syria, according to the following perspective and analysis :
1.To drive out ISIS from the control on financial resources and tighten control on wealth resources noting that the restoration of strategic october dam is to form a clear and practical indication of the new strategy of the United States to weaken the organization of the state and as the same thing occurred in Iraq when the Kurdish forces of Kurdistan region of Iraq retaken al mousel dam by the support of US air support and prevent its fighters from reaching to the Haditha Dam within the administrative border of the province of Anbar.
2. After bringing out ISIS fighters from areas of the countryside of the southern Ain Arabs , the road has become paved to reach the city of Raqqa where the main stronghold for ISIS and the targeting of its headquarters and its leaders.
3. Ruling out ISIS from the entire Syrian areas of the north and this in turn enhances military progress and next steps in the restoration of areas of Aleppo north to be followed by the control on al-Riga.
4 US military endeavor is concentrated now on targeting areas of northern Aleppo , the province of Raqqa ,Hasaka and Qamishli to enable forces of democratic Syria to accomplish their goals, while the Russian military effort is concentrated now on targeting the provinces of Deir al-Zour and Tedmur to enable the Syrian army in entering them and tighten control on them and take out the ISIS fighters from them.
5. The leaders of ISIS try to advance in order to control the rest of the important Lands and areas in Deir al-Zour province to compensate for its withdrawal from other parts forced by the democratic Syria forces.
The United States made clear , in its support for this formation , that the new strategy is to emphasize the fact that any support to any faction in Syria and Iraq depends on its announcement to fight and face the ISIS fighters and that the first goal and fundamental objective of it is the elimination of this organization and weaken and paralyze its movement and prevent its expansion and to stop its march .
Rawabet Research and Strategic Studies Center
