A fighter of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands atop a humvee during a joint military exercise with forces of the US-led "Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve" coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group in the countryside of the town of al-Malikiya (Derik in Kurdish) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on September 7, 2022.  (PHOTO / AFP)

The political stalemate in Syria is back under the spotlight following a rare high-profile visit by a US delegation and demonstrations in the war-torn country.

Three members of the US Congress – Ben Cline, Scott Fitzgerald, and French Hill – visited opposition-controlled areas in Syria’s northwest on Aug 27, while the south of the country saw protests against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s government.

Analysts pointed to Washington’s broader interests in the Middle East, which they said are military rather than economic, as the reason for the visit, and expressed doubt that the US lawmakers were there to address the humanitarian situation on the ground.

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Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani on Aug 28 reiterated the necessity of the withdrawal of illegal US forces from Syria, stressing that the presence of these forces “contradicts peace, security and international laws”, Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

He said it causes instability and insecurity in Syria and the region and pointed out that the crisis in Syria was a result of interference from foreign forces and their support for terrorist organizations.

The continuation of harsh and unjust US sanctions causes the suffering of the Syrian people, Kanaani also said. 

Mhd Nor Shakr, an international relations scholar at İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim Üniversitesi, said that the US has two main goals, which are to prevent the re-emergence of ISIS, and to avoid leaving a vacuum in Syria

Abdul Wahed Jalal Nori, author of the book State-building under Foreign Occupation: The Case of Iraq 2003-2008, told China Daily that the US might have broader strategic interests in the region beyond just countering ISIS. 

“This could include geopolitical considerations, regional alliances, and safeguarding access to resources,” said Abdul Wahed.

Mhd Nor Shakr, an international relations scholar at İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim Üniversitesi, said that the US has two main goals, which are to prevent the re-emergence of ISIS, and to avoid leaving a vacuum in Syria. 

He also said Washington believes that its presence in Syria is to back Israel and to deter Iran from expanding, though the US troops are deemed by many as problematic.

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Geir Pedersen, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, told a Security Council meeting on Aug 23 that the only path out of the war in Syria is a political process, which would also help to address the many crises affecting the country. He said Syrians “are entitled to chart their own destiny”.

Pedersen said Syrians both inside and outside of the country continue to suffer severely from the conflict, which is now in its 12th year. 

Arhama Siddiqa, research fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad in Pakistan, told China Daily that the US is connected to the country’s humanitarian crisis.

She said countries in the region are now focused on economic sustainability and “the US does not really have anything left to offer in that respect for now, at least”. 

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s government was readmitted into the Arab League in May, ending Damascus’ isolation since the Arab Spring in 2011, which saw protests breaking out in Syria before they escalated into a civil war. 

Since May, Arab leaders have been engaging in dialogues with various parties to end the Syrian crisis.

On Aug 15, the United Arab Emirates’ National News reported that members of an Arab five-nation committee, which was set up to oversee the regional normalization with Syria, said they are keen to end the civil war, hinting at the need for cooperation from Damascus. 

The foreign ministers of committee members Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Jordan met Syrian minister Faisal Mekdad in Cairo. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, also took part in the meeting.

The US has been vocal in its opposition to the Arab states’ normalization of ties with the Assad government. In recent days, there were also reports that demonstrations had broken out in Syria due to frustration toward Assad’s government.

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“It is noteworthy that despite Assad's reintegration into the Arab community, opposition to his leadership persists. This opposition is firmly linked to the ongoing humanitarian crisis which has exacerbated the economic situation that has plagued the nation since 2011,” said Siddiqa.

She added that external actors were “also seeking to capitalize on the Syrian situation”, citing the US congressmen as an example.

About 900 US troops are in Syria to support Washington’s local counterterrorism partner, the Syrian Democratic Forces, in its fight against the ISIL, variously known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS or Daesh. 

The Syrian government has in the past called out US for its illegal presence in the region amid accusations that oil is being smuggled by US elements out of the country.