The main Syrian Kurdish political party, the PYD, on Wednesday welcomed a longer-term role for U.S. forces in Syria, saying the Americans should continue to play a role until a political solution to the Syrian crisis, Reuters reported.
Syrian Kurdish groups have been the main partner on the ground for a U.S.-led coalition. The PYD has established autonomous rule in territory its allied militant control, and says it wants a federal model for Syria.
On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis described a longer-term role for U.S. troops long after Islamic State militants lose control of all the territory they hold.
In a written message to Reuters, the PYD's co-president, Shahoz Hasan, agreed that this would be beneficial.
"Without achieving a political solution to the Syrian crisis, and with the continuation of the Turkish and Iranian intervention in Syria, and with the continued presence of al Qaeda groups in Syria, the continued operation of the coalition is better," Hasan said.
Syria's main Kurdish groups hope for a new phase of negotiations to shore up their autonomy in northern Syria.
Mattis suggested that U.S. forces aimed to help set the conditions "for a diplomatic solution" in Syria, saying "we're not just going to walk away right now before the Geneva process has traction", a reference to U.N.-backed peace talks.
In response to the Mattis statement, the Syrian government said on Tuesday that Washington was presenting a new excuse to keep its forces in Syria by linking this presence to a political settlement, having previously said its goal was to fight IS. A foreign ministry statement affirmed the government's position that the presence of U.S. and other forces in Syria without government approval was an act of aggression.
