US Senators Warn Syria Against Rights Abuses, Threaten Response Over Kurdish Allies
Lindsey Graham and Jim Risch voice concern over reported military advances and alleged abuses in Aleppo, urging Damascus to protect minorities and avoid escalation.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Senior US lawmakers on Wednesday issued strong warnings to Syria’s new authorities, cautioning against human rights violations and any military action targeting Kurdish forces that Washington considers key allies in the fight against ISIS.
US Senator Lindsey Graham said he “completely endorses and supports” a call for calm made by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, while putting the Syrian government “on notice that human rights abuses against minorities will not be tolerated.”
In a post on X, Graham said he was receiving what he described as “credible reports” suggesting that Syrian army forces may be advancing further against Kurdish forces. Such a move, he warned, could provoke a “strong reaction from the United States.”
“While I support giving this new Syrian government a chance, I will not tolerate or accept a brazen attack against our Kurdish allies, who are the main force in destroying the ISIS caliphate,” Graham wrote, concluding with a direct message to Damascus: “Choose wisely.”
Graham’s remarks came a day after Risch expressed grave concern over the conduct of armed forces in Aleppo over the past week. In his own statement on X, Risch urged Syrian authorities to hold accountable those responsible for what he described as “egregious acts.”
“After years of war, the role of Syria’s new government and armed forces is to safeguard the inherent rights of its citizens, not to infringe upon them,” Risch said.
The statements reflect growing scrutiny in Washington over the behavior of armed actors in northern Syria amid reports of abuses against civilians and minorities. Kurdish-led forces, particularly the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have long been backed by the United States for their central role in dismantling the territorial “caliphate” of ISIS, a point repeatedly emphasized by US officials.
The latest warnings signal that, despite cautious openness to engaging Syria’s new leadership, senior members of the US Senate expect concrete commitments to human rights and restraint—especially where Kurdish allies are concerned—and are prepared to respond forcefully if those red lines are crossed.