عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Washington Seeks to Eliminate PKK Presence in Syria, Says US Official

US special representative on Syria James Jeffrey (AFP/File)
US special representative on Syria James Jeffrey (AFP/File)
TT
TT

Washington Seeks to Eliminate PKK Presence in Syria, Says US Official

US special representative on Syria James Jeffrey (AFP/File)
US special representative on Syria James Jeffrey (AFP/File)

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.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

New Mass Grave Discovered South of Damascus

A photo posted on Facebook by the Tadamon Neighborhood Coordination Committee showing one of its demonstrations demanding that those responsible for the neighborhood's massacres be brought to justice.
A photo posted on Facebook by the Tadamon Neighborhood Coordination Committee showing one of its demonstrations demanding that those responsible for the neighborhood's massacres be brought to justice.
TT
TT

New Mass Grave Discovered South of Damascus

A photo posted on Facebook by the Tadamon Neighborhood Coordination Committee showing one of its demonstrations demanding that those responsible for the neighborhood's massacres be brought to justice.
A photo posted on Facebook by the Tadamon Neighborhood Coordination Committee showing one of its demonstrations demanding that those responsible for the neighborhood's massacres be brought to justice.

Residents of the Tadamon neighborhood in southern Damascus discovered a new mass grave on Monday in the Al-Shuhada area, also known as Al-Sulaykha, bringing the number of mass graves found in the neighborhood to eight.

The discovery came a day after Syria's Justice Ministry referred the case of Amjad Youssef, known as the "Butcher of Tadamon," to an investigating judge ahead of his trial.

The newly discovered grave contained the remains of more than five victims, according to the Tadamon Neighborhood Coordination Committee, which said search operations were continuing with the assistance of Civil Defense teams and the National Commission for the Missing.

It is the eighth mass grave discovered in the same area.

The neighborhood coordination committee has been documenting suspected mass grave sites throughout Tadamon through video footage and eyewitness accounts.

In a video released by the committee, a local resident said children had discovered human bones at the site.

Another resident appealed to the relevant authorities to survey the entire area, recover the remains and preserve them properly, ensuring that the families of missing people have access to evidence that could help establish the fate of their loved ones.

"Every time someone starts laying the foundations for a house, they find human bones," he said.

The Interior Ministry's Counterterrorism Department referred the case of Amjad Youssef, the principal suspect in the Tadamon massacres, to the Office of the Prosecutor General for transfer to an investigating judge.

The referral is intended to initiate public prosecution proceedings against Youssef and his alleged accomplices based on the evidence and investigative findings submitted by the authorities.

In a statement issued upon receiving the case file, the Justice Ministry reaffirmed its determination to pursue accountability, prevent impunity and deliver justice to victims of crimes committed against the Syrian people, in accordance with the law and the principles of transitional justice.

The move followed the conclusion of preliminary investigations into Youssef, the main suspect in the massacres committed in 2013.

The Syrian Justice Ministry announced that the case had been referred to the Prosecutor General as a step toward bringing him to trial under the country's transitional justice process.

Syrian internal security forces arrested Youssef in April 2026 during an operation in the Hama countryside.

Youssef, a former warrant officer with Branch 227 of the Assad regime's Military Intelligence Directorate, was detained along with several members of his security unit and people close to him as part of the investigation.

The Interior Ministry subsequently released video footage of his confessions, in which he admitted to killing dozens of civilians in cold blood and burning their bodies in a pit in the Tadamon neighborhood in 2013, without having received direct orders.

Conflicting Death Tolls

Estimates of the number of victims killed in the Tadamon massacres vary considerably.

Some estimates put the death toll at 280, while testimonies from neighborhood residents suggest that several thousand people may have been killed.

The uncertainty reflects the large number of people who disappeared in the area and the discovery of numerous pits and sites containing the remains of victims of the 2013 massacres, which took place within a residential block that was under construction.

The case of Amjad Youssef, dubbed the "Butcher of Tadamon," has emerged as one of the most prominent cases pursued over the past year under Syria's transitional justice process.

It concerns one of the most horrific atrocities documented in video and audio recordings, filmed by the perpetrators themselves as a display of pride in what they portrayed as their "heroic" actions.

The Tadamon massacres are also closely connected to broader efforts to determine the fate of thousands of missing and forcibly disappeared people in Damascus during the early years of the uprising against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Among them are the six children of Dr. Rania al-Abbasi and her husband, Dr. Abdul Rahman, who have been missing since 2013.

According to the Interior Ministry, investigations involving detainees in the Youssef case uncovered evidence indicating his involvement in the killing of the couple's six children.

In May 2026, Syria's National Commission for the Missing announced that it had reached reliable findings establishing, with a high degree of professional certainty, that the children had been killed.

The fate of their parents, however, remained unknown.

In August 2026, the commission also announced that it had established the fate of Bassam Bahra and his son, Samih Bahra, 13 years after their disappearance in Damascus.

It said the two had been killed in the Tadamon neighborhood by a group led by Youssef and his accomplice Kamel Abbas.

The Tadamon massacre first drew international attention following an investigation published by The Guardian on April 27, 2022.

The investigation exposed a massacre carried out by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad's regime on April 16, 2013, in which approximately 41 people were killed and buried in a mass grave in the Tadamon neighborhood.

The report included video footage showing Youssef, a noncommissioned officer serving with Branch 227 of the Military Intelligence Directorate, forcing dozens of blindfolded civilians of different ages toward a large, deep pit alongside other perpetrators.

The victims were shot as they fell into the pit, after which their bodies were set on fire.

Media reports have indicated that 27 videos documenting the Tadamon massacre are held in Britain, with only one having been made public.

Abdul Moneim Zain Al-Din, described as the general coordinator of the Syrian revolution, previously cited that figure and called for the release of the remaining recordings.

Arab World

Iraq’s Badr Organization Demands Reopening of Border Crossings with Iran

The Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran in Basra, southern Iraq. (AFP)
The Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran in Basra, southern Iraq. (AFP)
TT
TT

Iraq’s Badr Organization Demands Reopening of Border Crossings with Iran

The Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran in Basra, southern Iraq. (AFP)
The Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran in Basra, southern Iraq. (AFP)

Iraq’s Iran-aligned Badr Organization, led by Hadi al-Amiri, expressed anger on Sunday over remarks by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein concerning the closure of land border crossings with Iran.

The closure of the al-Sheeb crossing in the southern province of Maysan continues to draw opposition from Tehran-aligned groups and businesses whose livelihoods depend on cross-border trade. The dispute also involves networks that exploit weak oversight and security procedures to smuggle prohibited goods.

Truck drivers have staged repeated protests demanding the reopening of the crossing.

The controversy resurfaced after Hussein told Al Jazeera that the US had formally asked Iraq to close all its border crossings with Iran except two.

Some political sources believe the request may have been conveyed during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s meeting with US envoy Tom Barrack last week, or during an earlier telephone conversation between al-Zaidi and President Donald Trump.

According to the prime minister’s media office, the call addressed the importance of coordination and consultation between Baghdad and Washington on current challenges and efforts to support regional stability.

Al-Zaidi reaffirmed Iraq’s position on respecting state sovereignty and preventing its territory from being used to launch attacks against neighboring countries.

Iraqi authorities closed the al-Sheeb crossing on October 21, citing the need to review security arrangements and procedures, as well as inadequate technical infrastructure and surveillance equipment requiring upgrades.

The decision drew criticism from parties and groups allied with or close to Iran, which portrayed it as compliance with US pressure and the economic blockade imposed on Tehran.

An official at Iraq’s Border Ports Authority confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that four of the five crossings with Iran remained open, with al-Sheeb the only one still closed.

Security sources, however, suggested that the shutdown was linked to sensitive security concerns, particularly reports that the crossing had served as a route for carrying out missile attacks against Saudi Arabia on October 10.

Badr rejects US demands

In a statement, the Badr Organization said it had followed recent developments, particularly Hussein’s disclosure of American requests and what it described as dictates to close border crossings with Iran.

The Badr parliamentary bloc categorically rejected those demands, insisting on Iraq’s national sovereignty.

“What the minister’s remarks contradict the previous technical justifications and exposes agendas targeting our resistance-minded south and interfering in sovereign decision-making,” the bloc declared.

The statement referred to the government’s earlier explanations for closing the crossing.

Badr maintained that Iraq was a fully sovereign state and that its people and national political forces would not stand idly by in the face of any violation of sovereignty or submission to foreign agendas harmful to the country’s interests.

The Iran-aligned organization also denounced what it called policies of economic blockade and the starvation of populations, underscoring the longstanding ties between Baghdad and Tehran.

“Iraqi-Iranian relations are deep-rooted, forged through the blood shed for liberation and in confronting terrorism,” it stated.

“We categorically reject Iraq becoming a tool in a campaign to besiege the Muslim Iranian people. Participation in such efforts would betray our fraternal commitments and squander the sacrifices of the martyrs.”

Badr argued that the continued closure of major border crossings, particularly al-Sheeb, had inflicted significant economic hardship on residents and disrupted livelihoods.

The organization urged the government to uphold Iraq’s declared policy of staying out of regional conflicts and avoid being drawn into “hegemonic policies” and “illegal wars” that fuel regional tensions.

It demanded the immediate reopening of border crossings, insisting that the interests of Iraqi citizens and national sovereignty take precedence over foreign pressure.

Arab World

Syrian Foreign Ministry Appointments Mark a Break with Diplomatic Tradition

President Ahmad al-Sharaa with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Interior Minister Anas Khattab last February (SANA). 
President Ahmad al-Sharaa with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Interior Minister Anas Khattab last February (SANA). 
TT
TT

Syrian Foreign Ministry Appointments Mark a Break with Diplomatic Tradition

President Ahmad al-Sharaa with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Interior Minister Anas Khattab last February (SANA). 
President Ahmad al-Sharaa with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Interior Minister Anas Khattab last February (SANA). 

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has appointed three young deputy foreign ministers as part of efforts to restructure state institutions, breaking with a longstanding tradition of reserving senior diplomatic posts for seasoned officials.

The appointments come as many diplomats who defected from the former regime are still awaiting the resolution of their employment status.

The changes have sparked debate in political circles in Damascus over appointments to senior positions in key ministries, amid unconfirmed reports of a possible cabinet reshuffle involving sensitive portfolios and the reassignment of prominent officials.

Wael Alwan, a researcher and executive director of the Jusoor Center for Studies, told Asharq Al-Awsat that there was speculation about Interior Minister Anas Khattab taking over as head of National Security, with Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader al-Tahhan potentially succeeding him.

“There is similar talk concerning the Defense Ministry, but no precise information is available so far,” Alwan said.

He added that he had no knowledge of reports suggesting Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani might be moved to another position.

An Unprecedented Move

On Saturday, al-Sharaa issued three presidential decrees, numbered 205, 206 and 207 of 2026, appointing deputy foreign ministers responsible for consular affairs, international cooperation and executive affairs, respectively.

The appointment of three deputies simultaneously is unprecedented in Syria’s diplomatic history and signals a departure from an administrative structure that has prevailed for decades.

Traditionally, the Foreign Ministry has had two permanent assistant ministers overseeing diplomatic, political and administrative affairs, alongside a deputy foreign minister.

A third assistant was occasionally appointed under exceptional circumstances, while specialized responsibilities were sometimes assigned to advisers. The two-assistant structure, however, remained the norm.

Alwan described the latest appointments as a restructuring of the ministry.

“The country’s new administration is not bound by established practices. It is completely separate from the previous system of government,” he explained.

Ordinarily, senior officials would be selected through institutional promotion, established career paths or extensive diplomatic experience, he noted.

“In a transitional government, however, things are different. Trust, in the sense of loyalty, takes precedence over competence,” Alwan said, attributing the controversial approach largely to security considerations.

Asked whether experienced diplomats who defected from the former regime could be brought back into senior positions, he acknowledged that this was possible but not essential.

Priority, he stressed, would go to trust and alignment with the current administration’s approach.

Young Appointees with Limited Experience

The three newly appointed officials were born between 1988 and 1996 and have backgrounds in public policy, law, international cooperation and administration.

Muhammad Yaqub al-Omar, born in Idlib in 1993, was appointed deputy foreign minister for consular affairs.

According to local media, he holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Idlib, a bachelor’s degree in political science from Al-Shamal University, and a degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Idlib.

Qutaiba Ali Kadish, born in Damascus in 1988, was named deputy foreign minister for international cooperation.

A law graduate of Damascus University, Kadish previously headed the Foreign Ministry’s international cooperation and protocol departments.

He also served as deputy minister of development and humanitarian affairs in the Syrian Salvation Government and directed its humanitarian and development projects department.

Obadah Khaled Diab, born in Damascus in 1996, was appointed deputy foreign minister for executive affairs.

He holds an executive master’s degree in development policies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and a bachelor’s degree in foreign service, specializing in international economics, from Georgetown University.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Diab previously headed the foreign minister’s office and directed the ministry’s strategic planning office.

His professional background also includes work as an information management and labor market research expert at Qatar’s Ministry of Labor and as a data specialist at the Center for Humanitarian Data of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Despite the Foreign Ministry’s decision to reinstate diplomats who defected from the former regime, and the appointment of several to head diplomatic missions in regional and international capitals, many cases remain unresolved.

A substantial number are still awaiting the settlement of their employment status and the completion of administrative reviews.

Peace Adviser Appointment Sparks Debate

The presidential appointments came alongside a separate decision by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani to name broadcaster Muzna Mamdouh al-Atrash, a native of Sweida, as an adviser for peace affairs.

Some viewed the appointment as a potential boost to national reconciliation efforts, particularly those concerning Sweida.

Others criticized the creation of what they described as a vaguely defined position covering “peace affairs.”

Critics also cited al-Atrash’s previous political positions, noting that she had supported former President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian army’s actions during her work at state television.