The news about U.S. troops’ withdrawal from northern Syria in the beginning of October has shocked all Kurds – from the average citizen to the heads of administrations in the Kurdish capital, the city of Qamishli.

The rapid worsening of the situation in the region, the absence of any support and the start of the Turkish “Peace Spring” military operation has mobilized the leadership of Syrian Kurds to find a solution to the unexpected crisis. The US Presidents’ claim that his military dispatched a mission to Syria clearly showed Washington’s readiness to abandon the Kurds to their fate – as small groups of US servicemen were left in Syria to “secure the oil.”

As a result, the current situation has forced the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to seek support in the face of the Syrian Government. However, this move by the Kurds was strongly condemned by the US. The president of the executive committee of the Syrian Democratic Council, Ilham Ahmed, during her visit to Washington, was told that the U.S. prohibits the SDF to cooperate with the government of the Syrian president Bashar-al-Assad and his Russian allies.

Ilham Ahmed said: “U.S. officials urged us to wait, and they always told us if you reach out to the regime, we will withdraw from the area”.

The commanding general of the Kurdish-led SDF, Mazloum Abdi, had also pleaded with the Senior Advisor to the Special Representative for Syria Engagement, William Roebuck, to allow the SDF to negotiate with Russia for protection as Turkish artillery pounded Syrian border towns ahead of the invasion earlier in October. The American official told the commander “not to take any immediate decisions”.

Because of the U.S.’ actions, the Kurds are being forced into isolation from Russia and the Syrian Arab Army. While U.S. troops continue to secure the Syrian oil, the Kurds should fight the Turkish army and its proxies alone.