‘The U.S. Should Have Committed to Its Promises’

Giglio: But do you really think they can influence Assad?

Ahmed: The U.S. is still telling us that it can push things politically. I, however, see that they are in a very weak position now when it comes to the political process.

Giglio: Have you spoken to Donald Trump?

Ahmed: No.

Giglio: If you did, would you tell him that he betrayed the SDF?

Ahmed: I wouldn’t say betray, but I would say that the U.S. should have committed to its promises.

Read: What was the point of the Syria withdrawal?

Giglio: Trump said on Thursday that the Kurds should go to the oil-producing region in eastern Syria, where U.S. troops may retain a presence. What does this mean to you, and is it possible?

Ahmed: I didn’t understand what he meant. The U.S. is talking about protecting the oil fields, but that shouldn’t be happening on account of the Kurds leaving their historic homeland, and it’s not right, it’s not proper, to move the Kurds from their homeland to other areas. To change the population, the demographics, is ethnic cleansing.

Giglio: What do you expect from Assad?

Ahmed: We are ready to sit and talk about the restructuring of the Syrian army.

Giglio: Is it possible that the SDF could become part of the Syrian army, if it makes the right changes?

Ahmed: There’s a pretty big chance, yes.

Giglio: Would that mean all of the SDF or only its Kurdish elements?

Ahmed: If it’s conditioned on what we’ve [pushed for], all of the SDF.

Giglio: What leverage do you have in these negotiations now that the Americans have said they’re going to leave?

Ahmed: I would say our power comes from our will, our people, the amount of support we have from the people, and the legitimacy of our political project in our region and inclusivity.

Giglio: How much leverage did you lose when Trump announced his decision to allow an invasion by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan this month?

Ahmed: Two cities were leveled to the ground. Major villages around these were looted; 300,000 people were displaced; 250 people sacrificed their lives. Sleeper-cell activity by ISIS increased with the Turkish incursion.

Read: The deadly end of American policy in Syria

Giglio: Is the SDF’s negotiating position weaker, though, in the wake of Trump’s decision?

Ahmed: Definitely yes.

Giglio: I spoke with humanitarian workers who believe they will be targeted by Assad’s forces if the regime returns to SDF areas. What do you think about these fears?

Ahmed: The [SDF] administration is still there, and NGOs wouldn’t be working with the Assad regime. They would be working with us. And the [Syrian army] would not intervene in local life.

Giglio: Do you really think you can protect people from the regime if it comes back into these areas?

Ahmed: Of course we can.

Giglio: How will you stop the regime from arresting activists and other perceived opponents, as it has done elsewhere when it retakes control?