The United States maintaining a military presence in Syria would be helpful if it prevents a conflict between Turkey and the Kurds, former US Diplomat Gerald Feierstein told Sputnik
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th March, 2019) The United States maintaining a military presence in Syria would be helpful if it prevents a conflict between Turkey and the Kurds, former US Diplomat Gerald Feierstein told Sputnik.
The White House said in February that the US military would leave a peacekeeping contingent of about 200 soldiers in Syria "for a period of time." According to media reports, this number has already risen to 400, with 200 troops to be placed in northeast Syria and the other 200 at At-Tanf base in southern Syria.
"The issue is whether the US keeping 200 or 400 - I think the number varies - troops in northeastern Syria would help stabilize the situation and hopefully lead to some kind of a positive peaceful way forward that doesn't involve a conflict between the Kurds and the Turks," Feierstein, a former US Ambassador to Yemen, said on Tuesday. "Hopefully it will also lead to some kind of approach on a broader issue of the political transition in Damascus."
The former diplomat pointed out that a political transition is also needed for Washington to participate in rebuilding of the war torn country.
"I think that the Administration has been very clear in saying that in order to participate in a reconstruction and rebuilding of Syria we need to see progress on the political side," he explained. "We need to see some kind of an agreement on a transition to a more open, more democratic Syria."
The root cause of the conflict, the former US diplomat said, is the political opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assad's government. If there is no recognition or attempt to address the opposition's legitimate grievances then there is no point in the United States investing in reconstruction, he added.
US President Donald Trump surprised his allies in December by announcing a prompt withdrawal of 2,000 troops from Syria.
US troops have been operating in Syria as part of an international coalition to fight the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) for about five years without the permission of either Damascus or the UN Security Council.
Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire in Syria. Moscow has also been providing humanitarian aid to residents of the crisis-torn country.
