SDF

In Part 1 of a two-part interview, Sipan Hamo explains how the Kurdish People's Protection Units were born and talks about his jailing and torture in Syrian prison after Russia turned him over

Despite having signed an agreement to integrate into the Syrian state, its leaders attended a key security conference in Germany as a separate delegation from Damascus, in a move that unnerves Türkiye

Al Majalla publishes a full account of what transpired during negotiations, the draft integration framework, and proposed constitutional amendments

Following the signing of a comprehensive integration agreement, stabilising the region hinges on whether the country can be unified without repression

A decisive Syrian military campaign, coupled with diplomatic pressure from Türkiye, the US, and Israel, has forced the SDF into a far-reaching integration deal with Damascus

It remains unclear if Damascus's move to kick the Kurds out of Aleppo will pressure the SDF to implement the 10 March deal to integrate its forces into the Syrian army or harden its resolve to resist

If fighting spreads beyond the predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods of Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud and beyond Aleppo, there is a real risk that Syria could be dragged into a new civil war

An Islamic State operative infiltrated Syria's security set-up and waited until he was with American soldiers. The assault requires an urgent reassessment of personnel and recruitment in Damascus.

Damascus has already taken steps towards this end, but international support will still be vital. It can also draw on relevant elements from Iraq's governing model.