US approves of Syria’s plan to absorb foreign jihadist fighters into national army

DAMASCUS/AMMAN, Syria/Jordan — The United States has given its blessing to a plan by Syria’s new leadership to incorporate thousands of foreign jihadist former rebel fighters into the national army, provided that it does so transparently, US President Donald Trump’s envoy says.

Three Syrian defense officials say that under the plan, some 3,500 foreign fighters, mainly Uyghurs from China and neighboring countries, would join a newly-formed unit, the 84th Syrian army division, which would also include Syrians.

Asked by Reuters in Damascus whether Washington approved the integration of foreign fighters into Syria’s new military, Thomas Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey who was named Trump’s special envoy to Syria last month, says: “I would say there is an understanding, with transparency.”

He says it was better to keep the fighters, many of whom are “very loyal” to Syria’s new administration, within a state project than to exclude them.

The fate of foreigners who joined Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels during the 13-year war between rebel groups and President Bashar al-Assad has been one of the most fraught issues hindering a rapprochement with the West since HTS, a one-time offshoot of al Qaeda, toppled Assad and took power last year.

At least until early May, the United States had been demanding that the new leadership broadly exclude foreign fighters from the security forces.