Ahmed: We draw our strength from our people

 October 15 marks the seventh anniversary of the founding of the Syrian Democratic Forces, these forces that derive their legitimacy from their people from all their components, and take it upon themselves to protect them against all forms of terrorism and occupation. It is the forces that fought the most powerful forms of terrorism on behalf of the whole world for the sake of humanity  and the values ​​of freedom and justice.

 In this regard, our agency held a dialogue with the member of the General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Nowruz Ahmed.

 Here is the full text of the conversation:

 What is the reason that prompted you to establish the Syrian Democratic Forces?

 After the attacks of ISIS mercenaries on the city of Kobani and Shingal district, and in light of the resistance that was shown against it by our forces. The fierce war that took place in those areas, which resonated with the whole world, the way was opened for the involvement of many components in the ranks of the resistance and struggle more and with the leadership of the Protection Units.

 During that resistance, self-protection emerged among the people of the region, and with the liberation of many other regions, many of them joined the ranks of our forces, and at the same time, with the establishment of the Autonomous Administration, which was a model for the brotherhood of peoples and coexistence, and the development of the concept of a democratic nation among those peoples, we decided  establish an umbrella that includes all components with each other.

 After the liberation of the city of Kobani, we had plans to liberate other areas from ISIS mercenaries and liberate their people from their oppression, as several appeals from them to liberate them, and with many people fleeing ISIS oppression resorting to our areas and their calls for training and preparing themselves to liberate their areas.

On this basis, many extensive discussions were opened with the rest of the military formations, to establish the Syrian Democratic Forces to include all components and various military formations, and in fact the establishment of these forces was led by the People’s Protection Units and Women, and in particular the Women’s Protection Units, which played a prominent role in  that.

 With the announcement of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the campaign to liberate al-Hol and the areas that ISIS made a center for spreading its ideology and extremism against our areas began, to include the liberation of all areas that were ruled by ISIS.

 * What are the achievements of the SDF so far?

 We had campaigns to liberate many areas such as (Al-Hol, Tishreen Dam, Al-Shaddadi, the Eileen and Judy campaign, and the villages located between Mount Kazwan and the Suluk area, Manbij, Tabqa and Raqqa), to conclude those campaigns in Deir ez-Zor, with the participation of all forces affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces  and here the importance of establishing these forces emerged, as they liberated thousands of kilometers from the NES and ended the presence of ISIS mercenaries geographically.

 With the establishment of these Forces, our military forces differed from the rest of the factions in Syria, such as the Free Army, Jabhat al-Nusra and the factions affiliated with al-Qaeda, in terms of the method of fighting and their proximity to the people of the region, unlike some believed that they are Kurdish forces that want to rule the region after its liberation of ISIS mercenaries. Today our regions live a model of coexistence, this is one of the most important steps, it has a great impact.

 The establishment of a military force comprising tens of thousands of different components (the Syriac Military Council, Al-Sanadid Forces, Al-Thuwar Army, the Democratic North Brigade, the Kurdish Front, the Al-Bab Military Council, and the Jazira, to be followed by the Deir Ezzor Military Council, the Manbij Military Council and the rest of the liberated areas),  making it an independent force to protect the region. It has made great sacrifices.   It also increased the power of the Autonomous Administration and the spread of the concept of a democratic nation.

* The Syrian Democratic Forces were established according to the foundations of the democratic nation and the embrace of the revolutionary forces that believe in the brotherhood of peoples. To what extent have these forces preserved the Syrian fabric?

 The concept of brotherhood of peoples in the region has become like a nail that you cannot separate from your finger.  We can also say that everyone is turning to our forces today. They see the strength of the solution, and this is thanks to their their commitment to the laws of war, and they were the pioneers of these forces that faced great difficulties.

  We know that our forces have deficiencies, and we always bring them up;  to search for ways to avoid it, and despite the sensitive stages we went through and our wars with different powers, we were able to bypass all of this, and the great role in all of this was for our forces, not as it is said that these gains were achieved with external support, or the intervention of the international coalition forces.  We do not deny that it helped us in the war against ISIS.

  We do not depend on external forces, but we derive our strength from our people because it is the real force that supports our back, and the force that derives its strength from its people can face all sensitive stages.

 * The Syrian Democratic Forces have allied themselves with the international coalition to eliminate ISIS, how do you evaluate this alliance that still exists?

 The participation of the international coalition in the war against ISIS was important. In the beginning, our forces were established according to the capabilities of the people of the region, and were able to organize themselves. It dealt with regular forces with their advanced and different weapons.  We do not deny that that stage was difficult, but in a short time, we were able to overcome all difficulties in the war against ISIS mercenaries.

 It is true that there was support from the international coalition forces, but our forces also had an important role, as they know the geography of the region. Partnership with the coalition played an important role in fighting terrorism, even though it was our first experience.

 * Your war against ISIS is still going on, and there are massive movements of ISIS mercenaries in some areas. What are the aid factors for these movements, and from where do they receive this support and directions in your opinion?

Our war against ISIS is still going on, despite the end of its existence geographically, but its danger still exists, as it benefits from the instability of the region, its economic and political situation.  Therefore, the danger of ISIS is still present, as it is trying to control different areas during the past months.

 This is not information we provide to you, but the truth. ISIS is trying to free its captives, arm them, and spread them around the world, in addition to training the children “cubs of the caliphate” to fight.  This is one of the most important risks we face, and in order to completely end ISIS’ presence, our partnership must last  with the international coalition, otherwise, the victories over the years will be in vain;  The fact that ISIS mercenaries is an organization that renews and changes, and what confirms this is that they do not depend on one person, and this was demonstrated through the killing of their leaders, to appoint a new leader for them within days, they are a thought, not a force linked to people.

 * There are thousands of ISIS mercenaries detained by you, in addition to the presence of thousands of their families in the camps, and they are considered a remnant of the war against ISIS, but the international coalition and the international community are reluctant to solve the file of these mercenaries, in your opinion, why?

 There are a lot of ISIS mercenaries we have, we must think about finding solutions for them and their families, what will happen to those affected by ISIS, what will happen to the areas that were destroyed because of them, what are the solutions to rebuild what was destroyed and the future of the people of the region, of course this is the responsibility of the international community and the whole world, not as they think  that ISIS is ended?

 This is not permissible. Today we see the situation in Iraq and the conditions of the areas under the control of the Damascus government and the areas occupied by Turkey, this dilemma must be resolved.

 * Is there any development in this file, and did you discuss with the international coalition the repercussions of keeping this file suspended?

 I am confident that if the world wants to solve the ISIS issue, it can, despite its difficulty, but everyone must know how dangerous the solution is.  It is based on its interests, the first of which is not diagnosing the reality of the problem and moving according to it, and secondly, solving the ISIS issue is linked to several other issues and cannot be separated from each other, and it must be resolved politically, not only in Syria, but in the whole world, away from war, so what is the political model  which the international community thinks to solve this issue, despite the global crisis.  In addition to the deteriorating economic situation in the region, and with the emergence of a global economic crisis, which increased its impact on the region, and all this leads to the dispersal of the people’s thinking and the young group about their unknown future, so solving these issues is not easy, but it is possible for them.

Today, the project of Autonomous Administration and the project of our forces can spread throughout the world, but there are those who do not accept it, and the principle of brotherhood of peoples. We see that, the attacks and threats of the occupying Turkish state continue against us;  because it does not accept our thought, and it always creates arguments that we threaten its "national security" to end our project, which it considers a threat to it, and in fact we did not initiate any attack against it, but it is it that is attacking us, not only the Turkish state, there are other parties that benefit from the political vacuum and the crises it is witnessing  area, so they are not looking for a solution.

 * The Turkish occupation state threatens and attacks northern and eastern Syria, and you are partners with the international coalition that opens the air to its planes to launch attacks against the leaders and people of the region. Does this not require a review of your relationship with the coalition?

 The attacks of the Turkish occupying state are an attempt to empty the region of its residents, to facilitate its occupation, increase the number of displaced people and use them as a pressure card on European countries, and on the other hand, targeting the leaders of the revolution in the Autonomous Administration and leaders of our forces is to sow terror in the hearts of our people.

 The occupation attacks begin when we achieve victory over ISIS mercenaries, and we saw this in Kobani, and in other regions, and during our last campaign in Deir Ezzor, we saw how the Turkish occupation state launched attacks on Afrin in front of the whole world.

 The attacks of the Turkish occupation state against us are an attempt to revive ISIS, which is taking advantage of our forces’ preoccupation with repelling these attacks to become active again, and its attack on Al-Sina’a prison is only evidence of that, as well as what is happening in Al-Hol camp and targeting the sleeper cells of our forces and bringing them weapons into our areas through the occupied areas.  Kanye and Girê Spî.

The attacks that target our areas are mostly in the name of ISIS mercenaries, but those behind them are the mercenary groups in the areas occupied by Turkey, because ISIS mercenaries are fully active in those areas, and this affects our forces, because expanding the area of ​​attacks and the escalation of the Turkish occupation of its attacks is a way to revive ISIS.

 * The region is entering a new phase of attacks, and civilians are also vulnerable to targeting. How can the people of north and east Syria protect themselves in the context of the people's revolutionary war?

 Our people’s resistance has a long history, and everyone has realized that, and in order to progress in our current stage, the stage of self-protection, our people must rally around its AA and its institutions and the Syrian Democratic Forces to form a unified circle to defeat the occupation, repel its attacks and not allow it to achieve its goals, because we know that there is a danger threatening  In our regions, therefore, we must protect ourselves and use all capabilities to implement self-protection according to the current stage.

 Today, our people are well aware that there is no point in emigrating and escaping, and that it is their duty to prepare themselves according to the stage of the war, because we have experiences of resistance, and we saw this in the resistance of Sheikh Maqsoud and the resistance of Kobani and Afrin, so we have to move according to the current stage.

 Our people must form a circle around their military forces to form a larger force, then the enemy will not be able to defeat us easily.  .  Our areas are occupied and our children, elderly and young people who took up arms to defend the area are being killed.

 We do not have any intentions to control different regions, but our goal is to protect our regions and our people, and our people must support their military forces to confront all threats.

 * The Turkish occupation state occupied the areas of Afrin, Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî. Do you have future plans to liberate them?

 Protecting the peoples of the region and living a free life, organizing and protecting society is the first responsibilities of our forces, so liberating the occupied areas is one of our most important goals and in order to achieve this we will escalate our struggle.  Committed against our people and against our women, we cannot accept them as military forces, and we will make all our efforts to achieve this and we will work to strengthen our defense system and work at all diplomatic and military levels to liberate those areas.

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 ANHA