The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed, mostly Kurdish paramilitary group in control of large parts of Syria, will not give up their weapons as long as ISIS remains active on Syrian territory, a senior Kurdish politician has told The National.
The declaration sets the scene for continued fragmentation of the country as its new President Ahmed Al Shara vows to restore all of Syria to central control. "It's a necessity to keep weapons because there is a fight against ISIS," Ilham Ahmed said. "We’ll also have to be reinforced, because it’s obvious that recently ISIS has resurfaced even stronger than before in a few areas of Syria."
Syria's Kurds, which represent about 10 per cent of the population and endured discrimination under the rule of Bashar Al Assad, feel excluded from the political transition led by Damascus's new rulers, said Ms Ahmed, co-chair of foreign affairs for the SDF's political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC).
Mr Al Shara, who has called for all paramilitary groups to disarm, has however vowed to be as inclusive as possible and held a meeting on December 30 near Damascus with SDF representatives, including its commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi. Mr Abdi on Monday invited him to visit north-east Syria.
These difficult talks may shape Syria's future amid intense speculation about how paramilitary forces will be integrated. Ms Ahmed warned that continued marginalisation of Syria's minorities could fuel civil strife. "Should the local identities of various groups continue to be denied, this will pave the way towards an internal conflict," Ms Ahmed said. "Kurdish identity was negated by the preceding regime and until now it has not been recognised."
The SDF has been pushing for decentralised governance as it seeks to hold on to gains made during the 14-year civil war. That includes carving out a semi-autonomous area in north-east Syria on land that includes roughly 70 per cent of Syria's oil and gas reserves.
It's a necessity to keep weapons because there is a fight against ISIS
Syrian Kurdish politician,
Ilham Ahmed
But the new authorities in Damascus, dominated by the now dissolved Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) group, have rejected requests by the SDF to retain their own bloc within the broader integrated Syrian armed forces.
US support
Ms Ahmed was speaking in Paris during a visit on the sidelines of an international ministerial conference in support of Syria. Ms Ahmed did not attend the conference but met French and US diplomats, she said, though not Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad Al Shibani. French officials said that Syrian Kurds were not invited to the conference because they do not have a state and thus were unable not send a foreign minister.
In Paris, US officials told Ms Ahmed's delegation that they "would continue to co-operate with the SDF in the fight against ISIS as they have done until now", she said. The US administration was not represented at ministerial level in Paris – it has yet to clarify its position on Syria – and instead sent the deputy assistant secretary of state, Tim Lenderking.
There have been fears that the administration of US President Donald Trump could withdraw support from the SDF. The US has about 2,000 troops in Syria as part of an anti-ISIS coalition, and Mr Trump has threatened in the past to pull them out. Mr Trump has also voiced sympathy with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who views the People's Defense Units (YPG), the main component of the SDF, as an extension of the Kurdistan's Workers Party, the PKK, which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey and some Western nations.
The expertise acquired in its fight against ISIS has been a major tool for the SDF to argue that they should be allowed to continue to patrol north-east Syria. "The SDF are ready to collaborate with the defence ministry without giving up their weapons because they're a strong defence force. If they returned their weapons, where would they go?" Ms Ahmed asked.
Ms Ahmed also pointed out that other paramilitary groups in Syria have so far not disarmed. "None of them have returned their weapons," she said. With 15,000 men, HTS is frequently described as overstretched to fulfil policing operations. The SDF commands an army of 100,000 men and women.
Conditions to disarm
Asked under what conditions the SDF would integrate the Syrian army, Ms Ahmed said that "there must be an immediate ceasefire with Turkey" and "the fight against ISIS must end".
"If the attacks of the Turkish army stops, then the SDF can launch operations against ISIS in co-operation with the Syrian army," Ms Ahmed said, adding she did not exclude the possibility of an integration of the SDF and the Syrian army in the long term. In-person negotiations between the SDF and Syria's new leaders look set to continue in Syria. In a statement earlier this month, Mr Al Shara said the SDF had "expressed willingness" to put their weapons under state control.
"Meetings continue and there are points on which we’ll need to find a common position and clarify," Ms Ahmed said. Discussions are often reduced to "military talks", she added, but they are broader than that and also include topics such as services for the local population. "The most important thing is to keep this dialogue going," she said.
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Miguel Cotto world titles:
WBO Light Welterweight champion - 2004-06
WBA Welterweight champion – 2006-08
WBO Welterweight champion – Feb 2009-Nov 2009
WBA Light Middleweight champion – 2010-12
WBC Middleweight champion – 2014-15
WBO Light Middleweight champion – Aug 2017-Dec 2017
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Ballon d’Or shortlists
Men
Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)
Women
Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS & THE ECONOMY
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
