Analysts Say US ‘Betraying’ Syrian Rebels by Supporting Kurds

As Losses Mount, Rebels' Supporters Fault US Policy

Virtually every public statement by Syrian rebel factions is accusing the US of “abandoning” or “undermining,” or downright “betraying” them, despite the US continuing to throw money and weapons at those groups.

That’s because they’re losing, at times to Russian-backed offensives, at times to US-armed Kurds,, at times just to ISIS, but always to somebody. As the rebel losses mount, hawkish analysts are joining the criticism, insisting they’re undercutting the rebel effort.

US officials, however, say there really isn’t much they can do. The calls for a “no-fly zone” over Syria are tantamount to calls for a US war on Russia, which obviously isn’t going to happen for the sake of a rag–tag group of rebels. At the same time, the US is backing the Kurdish YPG, but insists it doesn’t have full operational control over them.

Even if they did though, it’s not clear why the US would suddenly turn on the YPG, a faction that’s actually winning fights against ISIS and gaining territory, in the name of saving rebel factions which are, in all honesty, going nowhere fast.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.