Syrian Democratic Council Representative Bassam Ishak criticizes US support for plan to integrate foreign fighters into Syrian Army

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bassam Ishak, a senior member of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) based in Washington, D.C., strongly criticized a new US-supported initiative to incorporate thousands of foreign fighters into Syria’s national military, describing it as a significant departure from prior American policy.

In an interview with Rudaw, Ishak responded to remarks made by Thomas Barrack, the US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, who endorsed the plan. Ishak argued that the proposal contradicts the long-standing US position advocating for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Syria.

“We were surprised by the envoy’s statement,” Ishak said. “It stands in complete contrast to the earlier American position, which we supported, that all foreign fighters should leave Syria.”

The proposed plan involves integrating approximately 3,500 foreign fighters, primarily Uyghurs and others from neighboring countries, into a newly formed division of the Syrian Army as a unified group. Ishak contended that this approach undermines the goal of creating a cohesive, inclusive national military.

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“They are not Syrians, and their religiously extreme ideology is incompatible with the concept of a unified national force,” Ishak stated.

He contrasted this initiative with prior discussions about the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), where integration was planned on an individual basis rather than as a distinct bloc. “What’s being proposed now appears to be an exceptional arrangement for this specific group,” he added. “It suggests unequal treatment, and frankly, it raises serious concerns.”

Ishak concluded by cautioning that the policy shift could destabilize Syria’s fragile post-war equilibrium and threaten efforts to establish a democratic, pluralistic state.

“Structured integration should not come at the cost of national identity or ideological coherence,” Ishak warned.