Gen. Votel recommends arming, aiding Syrian fighters after pullout

Source:Task and Purpose Date:16Feb2019

U.S. arming of the SDF has infuriated Turkey, which sees the Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters that spearhead the group as indistinguishable from the Kurdish PKK movement that has waged an insurgency inside Turkey.

The YPG fear a Turkish onslaught once U.S. forces withdraw.

That has left Washington searching for a way to address the concerns of both partners.

In Europe, the plight of the SDF has come into sharp focus. A senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the issue came up at a meeting of defense ministers on the sidelines of the Munich Security conference on Friday.

“Many of (them) recognize the degree to which the SDF has actually done the hard fighting and dying and they feel a sense of obligation to just not turn our backs,” the official said.