SDC representative in US Bassam Ishaq: American troops will not leave Syria before political solution reached

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bassam Ishaq, a member of the Presidential Council of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Mission in Washington, D.C., shared insights into the potential withdrawal of US forces from Syria. According to Ishaq, based on their information and assessment, the United States is unlikely to withdraw from Syria until a political solution is reached, aligning with UN Security Council Resolution No. 2254.

UNSC Res. No. 2254, adopted in December 2015, calls for an end to attacks on civilian targets, urges the UN to facilitate formal negotiations among the parties, and advocates for elections supervised by the UN to achieve a political transition.

In an interview with Rudaw, Ishaq emphasized the readiness of the SDC for dialogue with the Syrian regime. While acknowledging past cooperation, he noted that talks reached an impasse. Importantly, Ishaq highlighted that the US welcomes any attempts at dialogue between the SDC and the Syrian regime.

Ishaq emphasized the internationalization of the Syrian issue, with key roles played by Russia, Turkey, Iran, the US, and some Arab countries. The resolution of the Syrian conflict, he asserted, necessitates agreement among both external and internal forces. However, existing issues among these countries, such as the conflict between Russia and the US due to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, pose challenges to a final solution in Syria.

Highlighting common interests between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US, Ishaq stated that the collaboration focused on liberating Syria from terrorism and eliminating the presence of the Islamic State (ISIS). While acknowledging ongoing ISIS activity in North and East Syria, particularly after escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Ishaq emphasized that US troops in the region continue to serve the shared interest of combating ISIS cells.