Kurdish Armed Liberation Movement or Ground Forces of the Global Coalition against ISIS? The YPG/YPJ and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)

Thomas Schmidinger

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Kurdish Armed Liberation Movement or Ground Forces of the Global Coalition against ISIS? The YPG/YPJ and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)

In: Agents of Violence

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Thomas Schmidinger

Thomas Schmidinger
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 173–203

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.30965/9783657794478_007

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Abstract

The article describes the emergence and development of the Syrian Kurdish People’s and Women’s Defense Units (YPG and YPJ) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), founded by them in 2015, which largely control northeastern Syria. The SDF is a military alliance that includes armed units with Kurdish, Arab, Christian Aramaic, and Armenian backgrounds and has been cooperating with the U.S. Army against the so-called Islamic State since 2015, but at the same time has been involved in several wars with U.S. ally NATO member Turkey since 2018. Due to the scarcity of published literature and difficult access to written primary sources, much of this article is based on insights gained during 15 research visits to the region. The article thus also describes changes within the SDF, its relationship with the U.S., Russia, the Syrian government, and discusses possible future scenarios for the SDF.

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Agents of Violence

Non-Governmental Armed Forces in Southwest Asia, North Africa and beyond

Series: Religion and Transformation in Contemporary European Society, Volume: 28

E-Book ISBN:: 9783657794478

Publisher:: Brill | Schöningh

Print Publication Date:: 06 Feb 2024

Subjects
- Theology and World Christianity
  - Philosophy of Religion

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Kurdish Armed Liberation Movement or Ground Forces of the Global Coalition against ISIS? The YPG/YPJ and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)

Abstract

Citation Info

Share link with colleague or librarian

Agents of Violence

Non-Governmental Armed Forces in Southwest Asia, North Africa and beyond

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