The Syrian rebel coalition that ousted President Bashar al-Assad last weekend said that it has further consolidated control over the country’s east as it seeks to build a new political order in the country, The Washington Post reports.
If you would like more context on this matter, please consider Amy Austin Holmes, Research Professor of International Affairs and Acting Director of the Foreign Area Officers Program at George Washington University. Holmes has published widely on the global American military posture, the NATO alliance, non-state actors, revolutions, military coups, and de-facto states. With more than 15 years global experience conducting research in the Middle East and Europe, including various conflict zones, she is a noted expert on issues of American foreign policy and international security.
Holmes was the first and to her knowledge only person who has conducted a survey of the Syrian Democratic Forces and has conducted research in Syria for the past decade. She also worked at the State Department on Syria, Turkey, and Iraq.
Holmes says on the role of the U.S. government and U.S. foreign policy, “Events are moving fast, and Syrian Kurds face an all-out war from Turkish-backed proxies known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), while others in Syria are celebrating the fall of Assad. The Turkish proxies are advancing on Kobane, where the US partnership with the Syrian Kurds began. This partnership developed into the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that went on to defeat the Islamic State. Will the US partnership with the SDF be in jeopardy if Turkey occupies Kobane?”
To speak with Prof. Holmes, please contact GW Media Relations Specialists Shannon Mitchell at [email protected] and Cate Douglass Restuccio at [email protected].
-GW-