America was a spectator of the war between Damascus and the Kurds

World Service - The Pentagon Inspector General's report shows that at the height of the battle between the Syrian army and the Syrian Kurdish forces in early 2026, the American forces only played the role of mediator for the safe exit of the Kurdish forces from Aleppo, and any direct military intervention was avoided.

According to Kurdpress, the Kurdish Studies Center, after reviewing the Pentagon's detailed report on the situation in Iraq and Syria in the first four months of 2026, wrote: The new report of the inspector general of the US Department of Defense on Operation "Firm Resolve" presents a rare picture of the collapse of the self-governing structure of the Kurds in northeastern Syria, the process of integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Damascus army, and Washington's security concerns about the future of Syria after the complete withdrawal of American forces.

The report, which was published on May 28, emphasizes that the January 29 agreement between the SDF and Ahmed al-Shora's government was reached after weeks of fierce fighting. These clashes led to the rapid advance of Damascus forces in the areas controlled by the Kurds. For the SDF, according to the Pentagon, the deal meant the practical end of the autonomy project in northeastern Syria, but after the US decided to shift its partnership from Kurdish forces to the Syrian central government, Kurdish leaders were left with no other choice.

According to the report, by January 20, Syrian government forces captured almost all areas controlled by the SDF, and Kurdish forces were forced to retreat to the two main Kurdish areas around Kobani and northern Haskeh province. Damascus now has almost complete control over northeastern Syria, and only two geographically Kurdish areas around Qamishlo and Kobani remain under the influence of Kurdish forces.

The Pentagon also provides more details of the military integration mechanism. According to the January agreement, the Syrian government was allowed to enter the cities of Hasakah and Qamishlo, but in return, the Kurdish forces were able to maintain four special military brigades to operate in Kurdish areas. So far, three SDF brigades have been officially integrated into the Syrian army, and an independent unit in Kobani has also joined one of the divisions affiliated to the Aleppo governorate.

The report also confirms that some of the SDF commanders and managers have been absorbed into the administrative structure of the northeastern provinces of Syria. To reduce the concerns of the Kurds, Damascus has taken measures such as issuing a decree granting citizenship to Kurds without identity documents and an official commitment to protect the Kurdish language and culture. Based on these commitments, the teaching of Kurdish language is allowed in the schools of Kurdish regions.

But the report emphasizes that the most important cases still remain unsolved. including:

How to fully integrate the SDF forces into the Syrian army and police

The fate of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ)

The situation of thousands of employees of self-governing institutions

The limits of Kurdish language teaching options

Security Command Structure in Kurdish Regions

Claudio Cordone, the deputy special envoy of the United Nations in Syria, warned in this report that uncertainty about these issues could make the integration process fragile.

One of the most important parts of the report is dedicated to the role of Türkiye. The US Defense Intelligence Agency confirms that the Turkish government provided direct military and logistical support to Damascus in the January operation against the Kurdish forces, and continues to provide technical training and military advice to the Syrian army. According to the report, although Ankara had previously announced that it would withdraw from Syria once control of Damascus was established, a senior Turkish official told the Americans in February that the conditions were not yet ready for the withdrawal of Turkish forces.

The report also reveals for the first time that American forces were under orders to remain completely neutral during the January fighting. This was while the SDF had repeatedly requested the anti-ISIS coalition to intervene to protect the Shadadi prison - where ISIS prisoners are kept. Washington rejected the request, but the coalition has claimed to have played a key role in mediating between Damascus and the SDF for Kurdish forces to leave Aleppo without conflict.

In another part of the report, the Pentagon warns of the risk of ISIS infiltrating the new Syrian army. Based on the assessment of this American intelligence agency, the lack of a precise security screening system and the rapid integration of various armed groups have caused extremist elements and even people with a history of contact with ISIS to enter the new military structure.

The report points to a December 2025 attack in Palmyra that killed two American servicemen and an American translator. Although the attack was initially attributed to ISIS, US counterterrorism officials later described it as a "terrorist attack from the inside." According to the report, the perpetrator of the attack was a former ISIS member who joined the Syrian military structure after being in the Tahrir al-Sham delegation for some time.

The Pentagon warns that the presence of such people in the Syrian army can lead to information leakage of anti-ISIS operations, diversion of missions and even warnings to ISIS cells before operations. The report states that American forces must assume "intelligence penetration" in any future cooperation with the Syrian army, and this issue has made intelligence cooperation very difficult.

The report also mentions the crisis in al-Hol camp; Where about 20,000 ISIS family members fled in January. According to the assessment of the anti-ISIS coalition, Syrian government forces not only did not prevent the escapes, but also did not intervene in stopping the smuggling networks affiliated with ISIS. Many women and families related to ISIS were transferred to Idlib with the help of local networks; An issue that can help the gradual revival of ISIS from Washington's point of view.

America has also warned that ISIS is using the security gaps caused by the rapid transfer of Kurdish areas to the control of Damascus. According to the Pentagon, ISIS is now mostly active in Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, Damascus and Aleppo, and still retains the ability to plan foreign attacks.

News ID 160958