Syria's Assad says Kurdish controlled northeast Syria must return to state authority

Reuters ^ | 10/31/19 | Suleiman Al-Khalidi

[mac_truck]

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday that his government’s ultimate goal was to restore state authority over Kurdish controlled areas in northeast Syria after an abrupt U.S. troop withdrawal but he expected it to happen gradually.

In a state television interview Assad also said that a deal between Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin to drive out the Kurdish-led YPG militia from a 30 km (19 mile) “safe zone” along the border was a “positive” step that would help Damascus achieve its goal.

“It might not achieve everything ... it paves the road to liberate this area in the near future we hope,” said Assad, who has remained in power in Damascus through a more than eight-year-long civil war with the backing of Russia and Iran.

The U.S.-allied Kurdish YPG militia reached a deal with Damascus to take up positions near the border after U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement in early October that he was withdrawing American forces from northeast Syria. The YPG is the main fighting element of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that has beaten back Islamic State in the region.

[Swarthy Greek Immigrant]

We defended other nation’s borders long enough,,,,,,,,,,,

[gandalftb]

I agree, why do we have 38,000 troops in S Korea?

Give them all horses and put them on the Rio Grande.

[Swarthy Greek Immigrant]

Globalists hate that you ask such questions.