Syrian Kurds' Rojava Autonomy Ends as Forces Dissolve

As of August 25, the Kurdish forces in Rojava, the autonomous region in northeastern Syria, have been officially dissolved. Individuals wishing to join the Syrian National Army must apply on a personal basis, and women are excluded from this transition. This marks a success for President al-Scharaa. The dissolution ends a leftist, grassroots democratic project that was never likely to endure under American protection. The joint fight against the Islamic State (IS) between 2014 and 2019, conducted with US troops, was problematic because these jihadist hardliners were originally designed on the drawing boards of American intelligence services. The Kurds' separation from Damascus was driven by their anti-Assad stance, which was expressed in their autonomy and their decision to deny Damascus access to wheat and oil from the Kurdish region.