The White House has said it will keep some troops in Syria as a peacekeeping force after most US forces pull out from the country. The move could be an attempt to get European allies to send soldiers to Syria as well.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Souleiman
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Washington said on Thursday that it planned to leave some US forces behind in Syria, even after the bulk of American troops left the country.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said a relatively small number of troops would remain in Syria, as US President Donald Trump pulled back from a complete withdrawal.
"A small peacekeeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for a period of time," Sanders said in a brief statement.
The decision came after a phone conversation between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Sanders said the men had agreed to "continue coordinating on the creation of a potential safe zone" in Syria.
Division in administration
Trump stunned the world in December when, without speaking to senior aides or allies in the fight against "Islamic State" (IS), he announced that US forces would withdraw from Syria.
That decision — to withdraw some 2,000 US troops by April 30 — was also reached after a telephone conversation with Erdogan.
It prompted strong criticism from lawmakers within Trump's own Republican Party and led to the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
Critics say that a sudden withdrawal could lead to several undesired consequences, including a Turkish attack on US-backed Kurdish forces and the resurgence of IS.
European boots on the ground?
Leaving a small number of troops for "peacekeeping" could pave the way for European NATO allies to commit troops to the establishment of a potential safe zone in Syria's northeast.
Kobani awaits Turkey's next move in northern Syria
Kobani on the Turkish border in northern Syria was the core of the Kurdish revolution in Rojava. DW looks at life inside Kobani, as Turkey continues moving heavy weapons to the Syrian border.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
PKK graffiti in Kobani
Turkey sees no difference between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria and the PKK organization in Turkey. The PKK is also considered a terrorist organization by the US and the EU, however, the western allies have supported SDF in their fight against the "Islamic State" (IS) group.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Taking a stand
Adla Bakir, head of the Kongra Star organization, an umbrella for women’s groups in Rojava, recalls how she gave an oath to serve the people in the opening stages of the Kurdish revolution in 2011. The revolution’s emphasis on gender rights has empowered women to become fighters, politicians and activists.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Protecting their neighborhood
Elderly women from the Society Protection Units set up nightly roadblocks in Kobani. The force is led by male and female volunteers, and is independent of the official police and armed forces. The volunteers are drawn from across all communes in the city, with the aim to swiftly mobilize forces in the event of an attack, and to prevent a repeat of the 2015 civilian massacre by IS.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
A welcome diversion
A Kurdish fighter serving with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Kobani enjoys some time with his son. He, like many other soldiers, is deployed in close proximity to his home and family. The Turkish border is a few hundred meters away.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
A grim reminder
The funeral of a Kurdish SDF fighter in Kobani. He was killed while fighting against IS forces in Deir Ezzor province in November. Despite US President Donald Trump's claim that IS has been defeated, the battle along the Euphrates river is far from over.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Remembering the dead
Martyrs' Center in Kobani. Following years of clandestine work, the center was able to open publicly following the revolution in 2011. It functions as a social hub, supporting the families of those killed by Turkish, Syrian or IS forces.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
A brief respite
Soldiers from the SDF at a military base in Deir Ezzor province. Posters of the Kurdish ideological leader, Abdullah Öcalan and other prominent figures, adorn the walls. Following threats of an invasion by Turkey, some forces were redeployed from the fight against IS to the 500-kilometer (310 miles) long Turkish border.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
A glimmer of hope?
Men at a Kebab shop in Kobani cautiously welcome the news that US forces will stay in Syria for the time being. The comments by US National Security Adviser John Bolton appeared to put the brakes on a withdrawal abruptly announced by Donald Trump last month and initially expected to be completed within weeks.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Protests gather pace
Demonstrators in Kobani, made up mostly of schoolchildren, protest against the Turkish shelling of Kurdish villages in November.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
Taking a break
Youths in Kobani make their way back from the funeral of a Kurdish fighter. Kurdish residents fear that another military onslaught is imminent.
Image: DW/B. Gerdziunas
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US acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan met a small group of defense ministers at last week's Munich Security Conference.
It's believed he attempted to convince them to station troops in Syria after a US withdrawal.
European allies have so far balked at providing troops for peacekeeping in former IS areas unless Washington gives them full assurance that it remains committed to the region.
