Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Spokesman of Jabhat Thuwar Al-Raqqa, Muhammad al-Hadi, said Wednesday that his local rebel group had joined the Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by Haitham Manna, and Kurdish leader, Ilham Mohammed.
The decision was announced via a press conference in Qamishli city north of Hasaka, weeks following the joint of Liwa Thuwar A-Raqqa, an essential component of Jabhat Thuwar Al-Raqqa to SDF.
A source revealed to Zaman Al Wasl via a phone call that Jabhat Thuwar Al-Raqqa had been pressurised to accept joining SDF, combined with disagreement of many members of Liwa Thuwar A-Raqqa, the military wing.
The sources explained that pressure was not only external, like the United States which wanted to unite all its allies within the Democratic Forces formed in October 2015, as it had left the suggestion of training the moderate armed opposition, but the Democratic Union Party (PYD) had used 3700 complaints against the Liwa as a pressure tool as well.
Liwa thuwar A-Raqqa had previously fought with Euphrates Volcano Burkan al-Furat”, a joint operations room, formed September 10, 2014, mainly consists of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and certain factions of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which seeks to expel the Islamic State (ISIS) from Aleppo and Al-Raqqa provinces.
The SDF was formed in mid-October 2015, hours before a major U.S. airdrop delivered 50 tons of ammunition to the Kurdish-controlled area in northern Syria.
Syrian Defense Forces, an alliance between the powerful Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), military wing of the Democratic Union party (PYD) and rebel groups including Arab and Assyrian militias, specialised in fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) and other powerful Islamic groups like Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham.
Supporting the formation of SDF indicated a clear shift in U.S. policy toward the rebel groups fighting on the ground, as on Oct 9, 2015, the Pentagon shut down the “train and equip program” created to get “moderate” Syrian into the fight against Islamic State.
Rebels trained by American-Turkish experts were defeated, kidnapped or defected to more radical groups on the ground, such as al-Nusra Front.
So far, the People’s Protection Units were the only force that has proved reliable and, most important, successful against Islamic State.
A Kurdish-Arab coalition fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) has in December 2015 announced the creation of the Syrian Democratic Council, a political wing of Syrian Democratic Forces, after a two-day conference in Syria's north-eastern town of Al-Malikiyah.
Kurds in northern Syria have established kind of autonomy since the start of the war in some areas in north Syria near Turkish boarders, but still they have not announced an independent state, unlike Iraqi Kurdistan, which is already an autonomous region and planning to declare full independence from Baghdad.
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Spokesman of Jabhat Thuwar Al-Raqqa, Muhammad al-Hadi, said Wednesday that his local rebel group had joined the Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by Haitham Manna, and Kurdish leader, Ilham Mohammed.
The decision was announced via a press conference in Qamishli city north of Hasaka, weeks following the joint of Liwa Thuwar A-Raqqa, an essential component of Jabhat Thuwar Al-Raqqa to SDF.
A source revealed to Zaman Al Wasl via a phone call that Jabhat Thuwar Al-Raqqa had been pressurised to accept joining SDF, combined with disagreement of many members of Liwa Thuwar A-Raqqa, the military wing.
The sources explained that pressure was not only external, like the United States which wanted to unite all its allies within the Democratic Forces formed in October 2015, as it had left the suggestion of training the moderate armed opposition, but the Democratic Union Party (PYD) had used 3700 complaints against the Liwa as a pressure tool as well.
Liwa thuwar A-Raqqa had previously fought with Euphrates Volcano Burkan al-Furat”, a joint operations room, formed September 10, 2014, mainly consists of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and certain factions of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which seeks to expel the Islamic State (ISIS) from Aleppo and Al-Raqqa provinces.
The SDF was formed in mid-October 2015, hours before a major U.S. airdrop delivered 50 tons of ammunition to the Kurdish-controlled area in northern Syria.
Syrian Defense Forces, an alliance between the powerful Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), military wing of the Democratic Union party (PYD) and rebel groups including Arab and Assyrian militias, specialised in fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) and other powerful Islamic groups like Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham.
Supporting the formation of SDF indicated a clear shift in U.S. policy toward the rebel groups fighting on the ground, as on Oct 9, 2015, the Pentagon shut down the “train and equip program” created to get “moderate” Syrian into the fight against Islamic State.
Rebels trained by American-Turkish experts were defeated, kidnapped or defected to more radical groups on the ground, such as al-Nusra Front.
So far, the People’s Protection Units were the only force that has proved reliable and, most important, successful against Islamic State.
A Kurdish-Arab coalition fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) has in December 2015 announced the creation of the Syrian Democratic Council, a political wing of Syrian Democratic Forces, after a two-day conference in Syria's north-eastern town of Al-Malikiyah.
Kurds in northern Syria have established kind of autonomy since the start of the war in some areas in north Syria near Turkish boarders, but still they have not announced an independent state, unlike Iraqi Kurdistan, which is already an autonomous region and planning to declare full independence from Baghdad.
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