By establishing BSF, is the US plotting to change the political map in Syria?

The plan by the US-led anti-terror coalition and its allies in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to establish a Border Security Force (BSF) in northern Syria will fuel the separatist movement in this Middle Eastern country.

What is the US planning when establishing the Syrian Border Security Force?

In an interview with Sputnik news agency, the representative of the main Syrian opposition participating in the peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, Mr. Fateh Hassoun said on January 15 that the US's establishment of a border security force in Syria could encourage separatist forces to try to divide Syria, which would gradually change the political map of Syria. According to this official, the US is considering many different goals when coming up with the above plan.

“The first goal of the BSF is to prevent Türkiye from deploying armed forces along its border with Syria. The second goal is to create an area with secure borders but requiring separation from Syria. There are other goals that have not been disclosed,” said Fateh Hassoun. The official also said that with the above plan, the US is holding the ambition to surpass Russia to become a country with great influence in the region.

Earlier on January 13, the Defense Post news site quoted a spokesman for the US-led anti-terrorism coalition as stating that the coalition is training about 30,000 soldiers in the territory inside Syria controlled by the SDF to maintain security in the Syrian border area.

The force is tasked with protecting territories recaptured by the SDF from the Islamic State (IS) group along Syria's northern border with Türkiye, the southeastern border with Iraq, and the Euphrates River valley.

Regarding this issue, RT (Russia) news agency quoted Middle East security and political analyst Omar Nashabe as saying that in the context of IS being defeated in Syria, the US is now eyeing the construction of a special zone inside Syrian territory, meaning a small state inside a large state. That is why the US uses the term "border" when referring to the security force that is about to be established. Thus, the US's intention to divide Syria is very clear.

Mr. Omar Nashabe said that there are many reasons for the US to do this. First of all, the establishment of BSF will prevent the Syrian government from establishing control over all parts of the country.

More importantly, America’s key allies in the Middle East, including Israel, do not want to see a scenario in which the Syrian government and its Iranian and Hezbollah allies win a complete victory in Syria. The creation of a small state within Syria would serve the interests of the United States and its allies. These factors may have been carefully considered by the United States.

The US and coalition's plan to establish a border security force in northern Syria has sparked angry reactions from Russia, Türkiye and the Syrian government, threatening to add fuel to the fire of conflict in the Middle East.

Türkiye mobilizes troops and military equipment close to the Syrian border

In the latest move, the Turkish Foreign Ministry declared the BSF a threat to national security and threatened to take tough countermeasures. Türkiye immediately mobilized troops and military equipment to the area along the border with Syria. Anadolu news agency quoted military sources on January 15 as saying that dozens of armored vehicles had arrived in Reyhanli district, Hatay province, southeastern Turkey. In addition, a convoy of 20 vehicles carrying troops and weapons arrived in Viransehir district, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey.

The forces are tasked with assisting military units stationed on the border with Syria to stabilize security. Türkiye's move comes a day after President Tayyip Erdogan announced that he would soon launch a military operation against the city of Afrin - under the control of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), in northern Syria to "eliminate terrorism" at the border.

President Erdogan also accused the YPG of trying to create a "terror corridor" on Türkiye's southern border, connecting Afrin with Kurdish-controlled areas to the east.

Relations between the US and Türkiye have long been tense over the Kurdish issue. Türkiye has always considered the YPG (mainly composed of Kurdish fighters in Syria and a key component of the Syrian Democratic Forces - SDF) to be an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organization that it, the US and the EU all consider to be a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, the US has long supported the SDF, considering it the main force in the fight against terrorism in Syria.

Russia and Syrian government warn of strong response

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on January 15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that the unilateral action of the US to establish a military force in Syria could cause serious consequences. It is not beneficial to the peace process in Syria, on the other hand, it will escalate the conflict between Türkiye and the Kurdish forces. Russia hopes that the US will explain this move.

On the same day, Chairman of the Defense Committee of the State Duma (lower house) of Russia, Mr. Vladimir Shamanov, said that Russia and its allies will take all necessary measures in response. When asked whether the establishment of the BSF force by the US-led coalition is against Russia's interests in Syria, Mr. Shamanov affirmed that such behavior by the US-led coalition is a direct confrontation with Russia's interests, so Russia and its allies will coordinate to stabilize the situation in Syria.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the US move is part of policies that disrupt stability, escalate tensions and conflicts in the Middle East, and hinder solutions to find peace in Syria. The ministry urged the international community to "expose the US plot" and take action to end the US's policies of "dominance and expansionism".

The statement also warned of negative consequences for international peace and security, and stressed that any Syrian citizen who joins the BSF force of the US-led coalition will be charged with treason. The statement also affirmed the Syrian government's determination to fight against any plot to divide the country, in order to protect the national sovereignty and the interests of the Syrian people./.

Hong Anh