Syrian Kurdish rebels and the new Syrian government have agreed to reunite peacefully. The U.S. military may have helped broker the agreement.
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SyrianPresidentAhmadal-SharaaandGen.MazloumAbdimakeanoddcouple.AbdiisaKurdishrebelleaderwhoseseculararmyboastsall-womenunitsandfightsalongsidetheU.S.military.Sharaa,formerlyknownasAbuMohammadal-Golani,isaformerfranchiseeofAlQaedawhorunsthenewIslamistgovernmentinDamascus.
Yetthetwomen,bothofwhomtradedintheirmilitaryfatiguesforill-fittingsuits,wereshakinghandsandgrinningforthecameraonMonday.Theyhadanagreement—atleastinprinciple—forAbdi’sSyrianDemocraticForces(SDF)tomergeintothegovernmentinexchangeforSharaarecognizingKurds’hard-wonrights.Theexactdetailswouldbehammeredoutbytheendof2025byanewlyformedcommittee.
Thedealwasanattemptbywar-wearySyrianfactionstostoptheircountry’sviolenceonceandforall.Itwasalsoatriumphofbehind-the-scenesU.S.diplomacy.TheU.S.governmenthasbeenplaying“averycrucialrole”inthenegotiations,sourcestoldReuters.And