Although the Syrian Kurds are optimistic about the election of Joe Biden as the new US president and expect more support from him than Donald Trump, the escalation of tensions in the city of Ain Issa and the concentration of Turkish forces, Ankara-affiliated insurgents, Syrian and Russian forces in the region have cast doubt on the future of the Syrian Kurds.

Dr. Spyridon Plakoudas, a military strategic affairs analyst and expert on Syria, sehd light on the situation of the Kurds Ain Issa and the new US administration's position on the Syrian Kurds.

"A renewed Turkish offensive against Ain Issa should not be overruled. The TSK and SNA intended to capture this part of the M4 Highway and isolate Kobani much further. However, the Russians intervened and offered the SDF a solution. Since the SDF hasn't withdrawn completely from Ain Issa, the Russians and SAA may allow a limited TSK / SNA offensive so as to apply more pressure on a weakened SDF," the analyst said about the situation of the Kurdish city in northern Syria and a possible new Turkey attack on Kurdish forces in Syria.

He further added that "Joe Biden, as a vice president of the Obama Administration, supported this partnership between the SDF and USA. When in August 2016, the TSK threatened to thrust southwards during Operation Euphrates Shield and seize Manbij, he objected and, along with other US officials, offered Erdogan the Manbij Roadmap (which eventually dissatisfied Ankara)," stressing that "most likely he will continue to support the SDF against the various threats (e.g. ISIS or Assad), I doubt however that the USA will return to Kobani or Ain Issa or other parts of Rojava where their military forces withdrew."

Dr. Plakoudas went on to add that the mission creep from the original (and narrow) anti- ISIS campaign will continue and the USA will continue to support the SDF versus its various threats, however "Washington won't recognize an independent Rojava. The USA envision a strong and pro-US Rojava as a barrier against Iran, Russia, Assad and Turkey - they won't invest however the resources necessary to achieve this objective."

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