Robert Ford: The Biden administration insists to keep U.S. troops in eastern Syria

The former U.S. ambassador in Damacus, Robert Ford, said that Biden administration is determined to keep U.S. forces in eastern Syria.

Biden added that the administration will not abandon the PKK and YPG as they are local partners.

Ford said in a previous interview with Anadolu Agency that “Biden administration is determined to keep the US forces in eastern Syria and it needs a local partner there, clarifying that the local partner for US in Syria is YPG for 10 years.”

The Biden administration is aware of “Turkey’s annoyance of this partnership, but the White House will not change its stance regarding this issue,” according to Robert Ford.

Ford continued that “YPG which is armed by US to fight the ISIS has become one of the prominent local allies for Washington in the region and it will not contribute to permanently eliminate ISIS. There are currently problems represented by ISIS taking advantage of the existing conflict between SDF and Arab tribes in Deir Ezzor province.

The Senate rejected last week a bill introduced by Republican Senator Rand Paul regarding the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, and Ford said, “Paul’s bill approved by 13 senators, while 84 others rejected it.”

Ford believes that “the vote indicates that there is still strong political support for the US military presence in eastern Syria.”

The US Senate rejected a few days ago a bill introduced by Republican Senator Rand Paul, stipulating the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, as the Senate voted by a majority of 84 votes against the bill, while 13 votes supported it.