After years of autonomy - and battles: The Kurdish force in Syria disbands and merges into the army
About 15 years after the Kurds exploited the civil war to establish control in northeastern Syria, the military force that became the main ally of the US in the fight against ISIS announced its disbandment.…
Assessment
The Kurdish military force in northeastern Syria that was a primary U.S. partner against ISIS is dissolving and merging into the Syrian army it was fighting months ago. This is a seismic shift in Syria's power map. The Kurdish autonomous zone established during the civil war is ending, and its commander acknowledges a new phase of peace building. The question now is what happens to Kurdish political autonomy and how the U.S. reacts to losing its main ground ally.