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Kurdish-Kurdish Understanding in Syria and the Significance of the American Role

2020-06-24
Writer: Masoud Mohammed
The scene of the Kurdish civil war is still present in the minds of the Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan; as the two leading parties confronted each other in the Iraqi Kurdish region and the Kurds paid a steep price for thousands of casualties in a war that lasted for more than four years. For it was not terminated until an American pressure was practiced to end a bloody tragedy between the conflicting parties. Therefore, Barzani and Talabani signed the Washington agreement in the presence of Madeleine Albright, the US Secretary of State, in the American capital back then.
There is an English proverb that says; “History repeats itself.” As in NES, the Kurdish parties have reached a preliminary understanding under an American-French pressure and effort and with the presence of William Robak, the representative of USA to the International Alliance. Subsequent to an initiative announced by General Mazloum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of SDF, in view of the Kurdish unification as a reaction to the Turkish occupation of Kurdish areas in an attempt to avert Turkish threats of occupying more areas.
The reached understanding by the National Unity Parties and the Kurdish National Council, under American auspice, traces its origins in unsuccessful previous agreements in the last years in Erbil and Duhok. Therefore, both parties agreed on the outcomes of Duhok agreement for a future agreement between them. It stated on sharing authority between both parties by 40% for each party and 20% for the rest of the Kurdish parties that did not involve between both councils, in addition to the coordination of military and administrative matters between them.
The American auspice represents the common characteristic of the agreements between the Kurdish parties. As in Iraq, America realized that the Kurds of Iraq consist the basic infrastructure of Iraq after Saddam Hussein. Therefore, it forced them on signing the agreement and halt the bloody war between them. As a result, the same Iraqi scenario applies to the Kurds of Syria, for Americans fully realize that the political turning point in the Syrian equation starts in NES. Subsequently, they strive for the Kurdish unification whose differences remained political only, unlike the Kurds of Iraq whom war had snatched thousands of victims.
James Jeffrey, the American Special Envoy to Syria, pressed the Kurdish National Council to reactivate his role in the Syrian Opposition Coalition after he froze his membership during the Turkish occupation of Serekaniye “Ras Al-Ain” and Tell Abyad cities. Thus, he demanded them to make concessions and facilities for the future success of the Kurdish dialogue process. On the other hand, Wiliam Robak, the American Ambassador to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, has played a significant role in the success of the preliminary understanding through his frequent trips to NES and holding meetings with officials of the Kurdish National Council and the National Unity Parties.
Despite the preliminary agreement between the two parties, there are some difficulties manifested in the regional members involved in the Syrian conflict that control both parties. As the National Council is a part of the Syrian Opposition Coalition which is based in Turkey and was blessing the Turkish occupation of Kurdish majority areas despite the reservation of the Kurdish Council on statements issued by the Opposition Coalition.
The Turkish pressures appeared after the announcement of the first phase accomplishment of the Kurdish understanding, along the issuance of statements from members of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, denouncing this agreement and accusing the Kurdish parties of sharing the wealth of Syria. In addition to Turkey’s pressures on the Kurdistan regional government of Iraq, which plays an influential role on the decisions of the Kurdish National Council in order to withdraw from this understanding.
On the other hand, the Russians play a significant role in practicing pressure on the National Unity Parties, represented by the Self-Administration, due to the fact that it has not reached any agreement with the Kurdish Council. As any agreement will undermine the Russian intervention in NES and drive it away from oil sources, in addition to other resources in the Syrian north. Therefore, Russia will not be able to stay any longer in the region without these resources which is what America seeks for.
It is necessary to demonstrate a political reference and to restructure the formation of the Self-Administration anew, according to the understanding between the two parties, this is which the National Unity Parties reject, while the National Council insists on. In addition to the return of the Peshmerga, which requires a decision and an agreement, as it is known that Roj Ava Peshmerga are currently affiliated with the Ministry of Peshmerga in Kurdistan regional government of Iraq and get their salaries from the Iraqi treasury, therefore their potential return does not demand a local rather an international agreement.
Moreover, the recent Kurdish understanding has fostered the concerns of other components in the areas of NES. However, Mazloum Abdi; the Commander-in-Chief of the SDF, dispelled these concerns, where he received those components few days ago, and assured them that this agreement concerns only the Kurdish parties. Also, that all other components in NES from Arabs, Assyrians, Syriacs and Armenians, are a crucial part of any future solution in Syria, and that there is no place for inclusiveness and Syria will be the country of fraternity and peace.
Some may doubt the American aim behind its sponsor of this agreement and its practice of pressure on the Kurdish parties, especially that they have turned their backs on the Kurds in the first round when they decided to withdraw from NES; taking that decision into consideration, Turkey occupied some areas! The American aim might be blocking the path for Russia to find a foothold in NES, especially on oil and gas resources. In addition to the aim of disrupting it from supporting the Syrian regime and forcing it to declare a ceasefire and sit to the table of negotiations, as well as, abiding to the UN Security Council related resolutions NO.2254.
According to some observers, the American aim of the Kurdish unification is also related to forcing the NATO to be firmly involved in the Syrian file, especially that the Turkish ally has started to head towards Russians and that the internal Turkish situation has become a time bomb that may explode at any moment. Consequently, the Americans aim at preparing the Kurds before the Turkish explosion, especially that they are acquainted with the future of all countries.

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