Syria's Final Frontier
Syrian Kurds celebrate victory against ISIS
The territorial war with ISIS is over in Syria. But it's the beginning of a new fight for the country's embattled Kurdish population.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, formed as a partnership between Kurds, local Arabs and US forces, have seen off IS territorial gains and allowed the Kurds to solidify limited self-rule in Northeastern Syria. But now that's under threat. “The semi-autonomous area that [the Kurds] managed to carve out of northeastern Syria… will indeed come under threat should the U.S. withdraw,” says Mona Yacoubian of the US Institute of Peace. Desperate to counter a potential Turkish invasion, the Kurds have appealed to longtime foes in the Syria regime for military assistance. Meanwhile, the fight against ISIS is far from over. A Kurdish official says, “The end of ISIS geographically and as a state doesn't mean the end of terrorism. That battle will start now.”
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