US Boosts Efforts to ‘Unite Kurds’ in Eastern Euphrates

William Roebuck meets Kurdish party leaders | SDF Press
William Roebuck meets Kurdish party leaders | SDF Press
TT

US Boosts Efforts to ‘Unite Kurds’ in Eastern Euphrates

William Roebuck meets Kurdish party leaders | SDF Press
William Roebuck meets Kurdish party leaders | SDF Press

The US has intensified meetings with leaders from the Kurdish groups in Syria to ‘unite’ the Kurds and establish a joint civil administration and a Kurdish delegation to take part in international talks on the Syria crisis.

US Ambassador William Roebuck, who is currently the Deputy Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, met this month with leaders from the Democratic Union Party and the Movement for a Democratic Society.

Roebuck also convened with the presidency of the Kurdish National Council and commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi.

Also two days ago, he had two separate meetings with representatives of the Kurdish National Alliance in Syria and the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party.

Sources close to the matter revealed that the meetings discussed progress with the initiative to unite Kurdish parties following the Turkish attack and seizure of Tel Abyad and Ras al Ain.

For his part, Abdi expressed optimism while some sources ruled out any possibility of reaching a final agreement between the two parties.

Sources added that sovereign positions will likely be handled by the Democratic Union Party and the Movement for a Democratic Society. Also, a joint military command will be formed and a map will be prepared showing the deployment of fighters in certain zones.

Moreover, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed that US forces conducted a military patrol, setting off from Tal Baydar base in rural Al-Hasakah and touring the area of Al-Derbasiya. The Observatory stated that the US forces intend to take the task of protecting oil fields and pipelines in eastern Euphrates away from the “Self Defence Forces” and put SDF fighters in charge.



Lebanon Starts Process to Disarm Palestinian Factions in Refugee Camps

A member of the joint Palestinian security force stands guard in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
A member of the joint Palestinian security force stands guard in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
TT

Lebanon Starts Process to Disarm Palestinian Factions in Refugee Camps

A member of the joint Palestinian security force stands guard in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
A member of the joint Palestinian security force stands guard in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A group tasked with making a plan to remove weapons held by Palestinian factions in Lebanon’s refugees camps met for the first time Friday to begin hashing out a timetable and mechanism for disarming the groups.

The Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, a government body that serves as an interlocutor between Palestinian refugees and officials, said the meeting was attended by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and that “participants agreed to launch a process for the disarmament of weapons according to a specific timetable."

The group added that it also aimed to take steps to "enhance the economic and social rights of Palestinian refugees.”

A Lebanese official familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, said work to remove the weapons would begin within a month, The AP news reported.

The meeting followed a visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Lebanon, during which he and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced an agreement that Palestinian factions would not use Lebanon as a launchpad for any attacks against Israel, and that weapons would be consolidated under the authority of the Lebanese government.

There are multiple Palestinian factions active in Lebanon’s refugee camps, which include Abbas’ Fatah movement, the rival Hamas group and a range of other Islamist and leftist groups.

The 12 Palestinian refugee camps aren’t under the control of Lebanese authorities, and rival groups have clashed inside the camps in recent years, inflicting casualties and affecting nearby areas.

Hamas and allied Palestinian groups also fought alongside the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah against Israel in Lebanon in a war that ended with a ceasefire in November. Hezbollah has been under increasing pressure to give up its own weapons since then.

Hamas has not commented on the decision to remove weapons from the camps. The Lebanese official said that Hamas’ office in Lebanon would be allowed to remain open if it worked only on political and not military matters.

There are nearly 500,000 Palestinians registered with UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, in Lebanon. However, the actual number in the country is believed to be around 200,000, as many have emigrated but remain on UNRWA’s roster.

They are prohibited from working in many professions, have few legal protections and can’t own property.