Kurdish Lobby Struggles to Slow US Pullout From Syria

A delegation visiting D.C. from Kurdistan is scrambling to get the most out of their lobbying efforts toward US officials. The focus is deeply centered on trying to slow, or outright stall, the US pullout from Syrian Kurdistan.

Though there aren’t a lot of on-the-record statements about the matter, it seems the Kurds are struggling to get their way on this. President Trump was very clear about pulling out of Syria, and if his own administration and the Pentagon didn’t talk him out of it, the Kurdish delegation probably didn’t have much chance at any rate.

Slowing down the pullout may be attainable, as President Trump has yet to provide a firm timeline. The Kurdish lobbyists are also pushing for the US to give them a bunch of guarantees about Turkey, in particular keeping them from controlling the “safe zone” they’re establishing in northern Syria.

On the one hand, officials are issuing assurances that they will make sure their Kurdish allies are protected. At the same time, they’ve provided no specifics on how they plan to make that happen, beyond vague talks with Turkey.