US Special Representative for Syria Engagement Ambassador James Jeffrey said his country seeks to reduce and eventually eliminate the presence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Syria.
In an interview with Syria Direct, Jeffrey said the US considers the PKK a terrorist organization.
“We want to see the PKK cadre leave Syria. That is a major reason why there is tension with Turkey in the northeast, we want to reduce that tension because in all other areas other than the northeast, we have very close coordination with Turkey on the Syrian situation,” he stated.
“And even in the northeast, as I said, we have an agreement with Turkey in terms of military [movement].”
Acting also as the special envoy to the International Military Intervention against ISIS, Jeffrey said the US wants to have a stable base in northeast Syria for its efforts to fight ISIS, which requires local partners.
The local partners are the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as the US military partner and the civilian administration there. “There has to be a civilian administration because, as you know, the regime retreated from that area back in 2013.”
And so, for practical purposes, he pointed out that the US encourages the Arab and the Kurdish elements of that general coalition to work together, to share power, to work out differences between them, as a practical matter, for a day in and day out stability and facilitation of US operations there.
Jeffrey reiterated the US stance, which indicates that a “political solution to the Syrian crisis that reflects the will of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 is absolutely necessary,” expressing frustration that Russia has so far not pushed Assad to re-engage with the political process.
The US current Syria policy “will continue” with bi-partisan support, according to Jeffrey, regardless of who wins the US election.
“What I can say is, particularly on our Syria account, I see no change in our troop presence, I see no change in our sanctions policy, I see no change in our demand that Iran leave Syria, be it with a Biden administration or Trump one.”
Jeffrey said the US has sanctioned about 75 individuals under the Caesar Act and under other acts that it found in certain circumstances make more sense.
“This is just the beginning of what will be further waves of sanctions. Again, we're starting off with the people closest to Assad because we think that it is very important to focus on the accountability of those people who have financed him and on those people who have enabled his military machine,” he further explained.
