The US considers full withdrawal from Syria as the alliance with SDF reaches its end.
The United States is seriously considering the possibility of a full withdrawal of American troops from Syria, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on January 22, citing US officials. This discussion intensified following the attack by the Syrian Islamist government against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are under Kurdish leadership and supported by the US. The attack, which took place last week in the northern and eastern parts of the country, led to the loss of vast territories by the SDF, including oil and gas fields, as well as detention facilities housing ISIS members that were previously guarded by American forces.
Washington had pushed for the integration of the SDF into the Syrian government and supported negotiations between the two sides. The talks led to a series of fragile agreements, with the most recent being a four-day ceasefire announced on January 20. Commenting on the deal, the US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, stated that the role of the SDF has now "vanished," a statement interpreted as a clear signal that the US is ready to abandon its Kurdish allies.
In a post on X, Tom Barrack noted that the situation in Syria has changed radically, as the country now possesses a recognized central government that joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in late 2025. As he stated, this renders the SDF's original role as a primary ground force against ISIS unnecessary, since Damascus now declares itself willing and able to assume security responsibilities, including the control of detention facilities.
What is really happening
Today, the US maintains approximately 1,000 troops in Syria, scattered across small bases in the al-Hasakah governorate in the northeast and a garrison in the al-Tanf area in the southern Rif Dimashq governorate. The Pentagon had already announced plans for a partial withdrawal last year, while the seizure of an airbase near Damascus was also being considered.
However, the recent attack by the Syrian government on the SDF has led the Pentagon to question the viability of the American military presence. According to the Wall Street Journal, if the SDF is completely disbanded, US officials see no reason to remain in the country. A key factor is the serious difficulty in cooperating with Syrian government forces, which, according to two US officials, include individuals with ties to Al-Qaeda and ISIS, as well as persons allegedly involved in war crimes against Kurds and Druze. This threat became a reality in December, when two American soldiers and an American civilian interpreter were killed in an attack near Palmyra by a radicalized member of the Syrian security forces.
New revelations
The WSJ also revealed that during the recent attack on the SDF, Syrian government forces approached American positions dangerously, with the US shooting down at least one government drone near facilities where American troops are stationed. The decision to transfer 7,000 out of 9,000 ISIS prisoners from SDF facilities to Iraq, as announced by Central Command on January 21, is also considered indicative of the imminent withdrawal. During the attacks, government forces allegedly released approximately 200 prisoners from a prison in al-Hasakah.
A full US withdrawal would leave the SDF completely exposed to the forces of the Syrian government, effectively leading to the end of the organization that still resists in al-Hasakah and around Kobani, in the northern Aleppo governorate. Given Washington's clear reluctance to exert pressure for the protection of the Kurds, the scenario of a full US withdrawal and the collapse of the SDF now appears to be the most likely outcome.
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