JULY / AUGUST 2019 | MOTHER JONES 47Americans, and, unlike the fsa, they didn’t fight among
themselves. Plus, they weren’t focused on defeating the
Assad regime. But even after Kobanî, the idea of allying
with the Kurds “was not a policy that was enthusiastically
embraced,” says Malley. Turkey did not want the United
States to create a Kurdish counter-isis force, but Obama
eventually became convinced that an alternate, Arab-led
“unicorn force” was not feasible, Malley says.
In late 2015, Obama sent about 50 special operators into
Syria to train and coordinate with the ypg. In doing so,
the United States was aiding not only an enemy of its ally
Turkey, but an enemy of its fsa proxies. In early 2016, the
ypg began attacking cia-backed rebel factions north of
Aleppo in an attempt to create a corridor connecting the
isolated Kurdish region of Afrin to the rest of the Kurdish
territory of Rojava. The fighting showed just how compli-
cated the war’s conflicting alliances had become: In one
town, US-backed opposition groups were simultaneously
attacked by isis, the Syrian military, Russian jets, and the
ypg. The US military, meanwhile, air-dropped ammuni-
tion to the rebels, and isis relented.
As Russia focused on hammering anti-Assad rebels in
northwestern Syria, the military tide turned against the
fsa and cia-backed fighters. In December 2016, the rebel
stronghold of Aleppo fell. In July 2017, President Trumpoffi cially ended the cia’s Timber Sycamore program,
which he described as “massive, dangerous, and wasteful.”
Some of the US-backed brigades would turn to Turkey for
support. According to Hamoud, Turkey supplied more
tow missiles, though it provided vir-
tually no oversight on how they were
used. In March 2018, Turkey seized
Afrin from the US-backed Kurdish
forces. It was aided by fsa brigades
formerly backed by the cia.
The costly secret war to weaken Assad
was over. The Americans were now
exclusively focused on isis—the one
enemy shared by every major player
in the conflict. Though the United
States and Russia were officially on
different sides of the civil war, they
divvied up turf and set up lines of communication so
their forces didn’t accidentally clash. If there could not
be one clear winner, at least both countries might ensure
that their main allies on the ground would not lose the
war against the Islamic State. Russian planes would join
Syrian jets in bombing Aleppo, eastern Ghouta, and Deir
Ezzor. The United States would set its sights on the isis
stronghold of Raqqa.Trump ended
the cia program
to arm the
rebels, calling it
“massive,
dangerous, and
w a s t e f u l .”2018 2019Trump unexpectedly announces
withdrawal of US troops: “We won.”Trump says the United States will recognize
Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.The State Department calls out Russia for
violating a cease-fire in southwestern Syria.UN Ambassador Nikki Haley calls
Russia’s demands for international
reconstruction aid to Syria “absurd.”Trump tweets that Russia is actually upset
about US withdrawal “because now they will
have to fight isis...without us.”After a Syrian chemical attack, Trump
tweets that Putin and Russia are
“responsible for backing Animal Assad.”
The US and Russia set up a new deconfliction hotline to prevent
clashes between their ground forces battling isis in eastern Syria.Trump and Putin briefly
discuss Syria at the apec
forum in Vietnam.Trump and Putin agree to a
cease-fire in southwestern Syria.
“Now it is time to move forward
in working constructively with
Russia!” Trump tweets.
Russia, Iran, and Turkey meet in Astana, Kazakhstan, to open
a new peace process. The United States is not a party.
Putin condemns US retaliatory airstrikes on Syrian
government targets as an “act of aggression.”Russia’s deputy defense minister accuses the US
of using drones to attack its Syrian air base.Putin praises Trump’s decision
to withdraw as “correct.”Russia con-
demns Trump’s
Golan Heights
announcement.