US statements on SDF show attempt to avoid past commitments
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN In a December statement US Secretary of Defense sought to portray the SDF as seeking a Kurdish state as a way for the US to […]
Tag Archives: SDF
October 6, 2019 to October 13, 2019: The week the US pushed eastern Syria to destruction and Turkey, Assad came in
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN A timeline of events in eastern Syria during the period the US announced a withdrawal and the time the SDF signed an agreement with Damascus. ALL […]
Thoughts and questions about US withdrawal from Syria
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN There has been shock at the sudden decision by US President Donald Trump to withdraw from Syria. Here are some thoughts and questions, and maybe some […]
Are US-backed SDF fighting Shia militias in Syria?
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN On April 29 reports emerged of clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian regime-supported National Defense Forces, which allegedly include Shi’ite militias in a […]
Western privilege and the interviews of the ISIS ‘Beatles’ in Syria
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN The SDF in Syria seem to be holding a circus for journalists to come and profile the ISIS ‘Beatles.’ One after another the detainees have been […]
List of reported developments in northern Syria amidst Afrin conflict
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Since Ankara launched its offensive against the YPG on January 20 there have been many developments in the battle between Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies […]
Reading between the lines of the Russia-US statement on Syria in Vietnam
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN On November 11 US President Donald Trump and President of Russia Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of the APEC conference in Danang, Vietnam. They issued […]
THREE KILOMETERS: That’s how close US and Russian forces are operating in Syria
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Before midnight on September 15th a Russian airstrike hit near where US-coalition supported Syrian Democratic Forces were operating east of the Euphrates river. According to a […]
Countdown to conflict with YPG, Turkey over Afrin?
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN In the last week of June 2017 rumors began to spread of increased tensions on the Turkish border with Kurdish-run areas in Afrin. A small province, […]
BREAKING: Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi reaching Iraq-Syria border, implications?
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Just after noon on May 29th the Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), a mostly Shia group of militias that have been officially part of […]
Seth J. Frantzman - author - analyst 