France plans to increase its military presence in the northeast of Syria (Beyond the Euphrates), which is located in the area of responsibility of the Kurdish formations. Such an initiative is being worked out against the background of the decision of the administration of US President Donald Trump to reduce the number of its troops in the area. In addition, Paris is trying to establish a dialogue between the Kurdish commanders and their implacable opponent Turkey. According to French media reports, the Elysee Palace wants to take advantage of the current situation to regain political leverage in Syria.
Sources of the Lebanese newspaper Al-Modon, close to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, informed about Paris’ plans to increase its military presence in the Euphrates region.
According to the interlocutors of the publication, the Fifth Republic is considering increasing the number of its military as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group (IS, recognized as a terrorist group in Russia and banned), which operates in northeastern Syria under the auspices of the United States. Between 100 and 200 French troops have already been deployed there. In addition, according to Al-Modon sources, an increase in the concentration of the French military may occur on the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan, a region in northern Iraq.
The Elysee Palace is changing approaches in the Syrian direction not only from a military point of view. According to Al-Modon’s interlocutors, France is separately trying to resolve the conflict between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance dominated by Kurdish formations, and their main opponent Turkey. At the same time, the French side wants to resolve the remaining differences between the DSS and the transitional administration in Damascus. Despite the fact that in March the parties signed an official agreement on the integration of the Kurdish autonomy into the central government, there are still many reasons for contradictions. So, the Kurdish commanders recently announced that they are seeking the federalization of Syria.
France is taking its actions against the background of the ongoing process of withdrawing American troops from Syria. The other day, the Pentagon announced that it would reduce its presence in the republic to less than 1,000 people. “This consolidation reflects the significant steps we have taken to reduce the attractiveness and operational potential of ISIS at the regional and global levels,– Pentagon Assistant Chief of Public Affairs Sean Parnell said in a statement. “This purposeful and conditional process will lead to a reduction in the number of American troops in Syria in the coming months.” At the same time, the United States intends to continue airstrikes on the country’s territory.
The Israeli media were the first to report on the Trump administration’s readiness to withdraw troops from Syria this month. According to their information, the Jewish state received a corresponding notification from the Pentagon. Later, this initiative was confirmed by Reuters sources, who clarified that it was simply a matter of rotating the military due to changing needs.
According to The New York Times, as part of the reduction of its military mission, the United States is closing three of the eight operational bases in northeastern Syria. This is the Green Village military base located at the al-Omar gas field, this is the Euphrates support point and another small facility, the name of which is not given.
In two months, the American command plans to reassess whether additional troop reductions are worth it, sources tell The New York Times. According to them, so far the American military leaders have recommended leaving at least 500 military personnel in Syria, but President Trump expresses deep skepticism about maintaining any military personnel in the republic.
The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is actively trying to dissuade the Trump administration from evacuating its military, the Yediot Ahronot newspaper claims. The authorities of the Jewish state believe that the withdrawal of the Americans will open an additional window of opportunity for Turkey, which will immediately want to deploy its military bases in Trans-Euphrates and weaken the DSS. The Israelis view Ankara as their new regional rival.
The US position towards the transitional administration, headed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, is becoming tougher. According to sources in The Wall Street Journal, Washington has made new demands on Damascus in recent weeks. He wants the Syrian administration to ban Palestinian groups from operating in Syria and expel their functionaries from the country. In addition, the United States expects the al-Sharaa government to stop ethnic and religious violence, which exploded in March in the coastal regions of Syria, densely populated by the Alawite community. Only if these requirements are met is the White House ready to ease sanctions against the republic and restore the embassy.
The French leadership, like other European countries, is demonstrating a softer approach to the transitional administration in Damascus. As unnamed French diplomats stated earlier in a conversation with Le Figaro, in the situation around the fall of the previous Syrian government, Paris saw its window of opportunity and decided to “return to the game.”
