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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Congressman Abe Hamadeh held a video call on Sunday with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), praising the Kurdish-led group as a key ally of the United States in the ongoing fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).
In a statement on X, the Republican lawmaker's office quoted him as stating, 'I thanked General Mazloum of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS,' noting the group's crucial role and its force of 'over 100,000 fighters trained by U.S.-led coalition forces.'
Hamadeh described the SDF as a 'key part of Syria's future,' stressing that 'for over a decade, it has protected the northeast third of Syria, and established a decentralized model that protects Christians, Arabs, Kurds, and others.'
The SDF, serving as the de facto military in northeast Syria (Rojava), played a central role in defeating ISIS in 2019 and in detaining thousands of its fighters. It also maintains security at the Roj and al-Hol camps, which hold thousands of individuals suspected of having ties to ISIS.
On March 10, Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Abdi signed an agreement to integrate all civil and military institutions in Rojava, including the Kurdish-led forces, under the authority of the Syrian state.
However, talks on the implementation of the deal are ongoing between the two sides, with differing interpretations of the integration process emerging as a major sticking point. While the SDF wants to join the Syrian army as a unified bloc, Damascus prefers to assimilate SDF fighters individually and distribute them across its own military brigades.
Qutaiba Idlbi, director of American affairs at Syria's foreign ministry, on Wednesday confirmed to Rudaw that the two parties will 'soon' meet in the French capital to finalize integration talks.
Hamadeh also noted that the negotiations 'will resume in Paris with [Donald] Trump Administration support,' aiming to move Syria away from 'the former [Bashar al-Assad] regime's failed approach of intimidation and retaliation, and toward a system grounded in protecting the rights and freedom for all.'
The Republican congressman emphasized that the US administration 'continues to maintain open channels with all parties in Syria committed to peace,' and emphasized the SDF's request for 'time and space to strengthen their inclusive governance framework in Syria's interim process.'
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