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

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

What are the US's intentions in establishing the Syrian Border Security Force?

In an interview with Sputnik news agency on January 15, Fateh Hassoun, the representative of the main Syrian opposition participating in the peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, stated that the US establishment of a border security force in Syria could encourage separatist forces' efforts to partition Syria, eventually altering the Syrian political map. According to this official, the US is pursuing several different objectives in implementing this plan.

“The primary purpose of establishing the BSF is to prevent Türkiye from deploying armed forces along its border with Syria. The second purpose is to create a region with secure borders that requires separation from Syria. There are also other objectives that have yet to be revealed,” said Fateh Hassoun. The official also suggested that, with this plan, the US is aiming to surpass Russia as a major influential power in the region.

Earlier on January 13, the Defense Post quoted a spokesperson for the US-led anti-terrorism coalition as stating that the coalition was training approximately 30,000 soldiers in Syrian territory controlled by the SDF to maintain security in the Syrian border region.

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

Regarding this issue, the Russian news agency RT quoted Middle East security and political analyst Omar Nashabe as saying that, in the context of ISIS being defeated in Syria, the US is now eyeing the establishment of a special zone within Syrian territory, meaning a small state within a larger state. That is why the US uses the term "border" when referring to the soon-to-be-established security forces. Thus, the US's intention to divide Syria is all too clear.

Omar Nashabe argues that there are several reasons why the US is doing this. First, the establishment of the BSF would prevent the Syrian government from establishing control over all parts of the country's territory.

More importantly, key US allies in the Middle East, including Israel, do not want to see a scenario in which the Syrian government, along with its allies Iran and Hezbollah, achieve a complete victory in Syria. Creating a small state within Syria would serve the interests of the US and its allies. These factors may have all been carefully considered by the US.

The plan by the US and its coalition to establish a border security force in northern Syria has provoked an angry reaction from Russia, Türkiye, and the Syrian government, risking further fueling the conflict in the Middle East.

Türkiye deploys troops and military equipment near the Syrian border.

In the latest development, the Turkish Foreign Ministry declared the BSF (British Self-Defense Forces) a threat to national security and threatened a strong response. Immediately, Türkiye deployed a massive number of troops and military equipment to the area along its border with Syria. The Anadolu news agency, citing military sources on January 15th, reported that dozens of armored vehicles had arrived in Reyhanli district, Hatay province, in southeastern Türkiye. Additionally, a convoy of 20 vehicles carrying troops and weapons arrived in Viransehir district, Sanliurfa province, also in the southeast.

These forces are tasked with supporting military units stationed along the border with Syria in stabilizing security. Turkey's move comes a day after President Tayyip Erdogan announced he would soon launch a military operation targeting the city of Afrin – controlled by 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 strained over the Kurdish issue. Türkiye views the YPG (primarily composed of Syrian Kurdish fighters and a key component of the Syrian Democratic Forces - SDF) as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organization that Turkey, the US, and the EU all consider terrorist. Meanwhile, the US has long supported the SDF, considering it the main force in the fight against terrorism in Syria.

Russia and the Syrian government warn of strong retaliation.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on January 15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that the unilateral action of the United States in establishing a military force in Syria could have serious consequences. It is not conducive to the peace process in Syria and, on the contrary, will escalate the conflict between Türkiye and Kurdish forces. Russia hopes the US will provide an explanation for this move.

On the same day, Vladimir Shamanov, Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament), stated that Russia and its allies would take all necessary countermeasures. When asked whether the formation of the BSF (Battalion-Special Forces) by the US-led coalition opposed Russian interests in Syria, Shamanov asserted that such actions by the US-led coalition constituted a direct confrontation with Russian interests, and therefore Russia and its allies would coordinate efforts to stabilize the situation in Syria.

Meanwhile, the SANA news agency quoted a statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry saying that the US move is part of policies aimed at undermining stability, escalating tensions and conflict in the Middle East, and hindering peaceful solutions for Syria. The ministry urged the international community to “expose the US plot” and take action to end the US’s “dominant and expansionist” policies.

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