'Kurdish Rights Must Be Guaranteed in Syria’s New Constitution,' Says Former US Diplomat

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Peter Galbraith, a former United States diplomat with extensive experience in the region, issued a scathing critique on Monday regarding the newly signed integration agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Speaking to Kurdistan24 on January 19, 2026, Galbraith characterized the U.S.-brokered deal not as a diplomatic breakthrough, but as a "humiliating concession" and a "surrender" that dissolves the Kurdish-led autonomy in northeast Syria.

His remarks stand in sharp contrast to the official praise emanating from Damascus and Washington, offering a grim assessment of the strategic collapse that led to the SDF’s retreat from Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.

In an exclusive interview with Kurdistan24 on Monday, Galbraith argued that the loss of territory over the weekend was precipitated by the defection of local allies.

"Forces, and the Arab tribes, not surprisingly, no surprise here, ended up betraying them," Galbraith said. "As a result, they've lost Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, and have now been forced to make a very humiliating concession with regard to Hasakah. So it's a big loss in a very short period of time."

The former diplomat directed his harshest criticism at the role played by the United States and specifically Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Syrian Affairs. Galbraith contended that American policy has shifted toward total appeasement of the new leadership in Damascus.

"The role of the United States has not been helpful," Galbraith stated. He described Barrack as a "real estate developer" without significant diplomatic experience who has "embraced Shara with no real understanding about who Shara is and what this regime is."

Galbraith’s comments directly challenge the narrative presented by Barrack on Sunday. Following the signing of the 14-point agreement, the U.S. Envoy had commended both the Syrian government and the SDF, describing the deal as a bridge toward a unified Syria and praising Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Galbraith, however, warned that this embrace ignores the violent track record of the new Syrian leadership.

"This is a regime that has attacked the Alawites with thousands killed, attacked the Druze again with thousands killed, and now have attacked the Kurds," Galbraith told Kurdistan24. "So all the major minorities of Syria have been attacked by this regime, and yet Trump and Barak embrace the regime."

According to Galbraith, the diplomatic process was marred by deception. He revealed that a different, more favorable agreement had been on the table earlier in the month.

"What was agreed in January of this year was that the SDF would be integrated into the Syrian army as units with its own commanders and deployed to the northeast, and that the Iraqi army wouldn't go there," he explained.

This agreement was reportedly slated for signature on January 4. However, Galbraith alleged that President al-Sharaa delayed the signing with "fake excuses" to buy time for a military offensive.

"It was really a big deception. Shara had agreed to this. The United States had brokered it," Galbraith said. He described the subsequent military assault on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo and the sweep across Syria as a "stab in the back" executed while President al-Sharaa feigned friendship.

The result is the current agreement, which Galbraith views as fundamentally different from the integration of units originally discussed.

The finalized deal, announced on Sunday by the Syrian Ministry of Defense, mandates the "individual" integration of SDF personnel into the Syrian Ministries of Defense and Interior. Galbraith argued that this distinction is fatal to Kurdish autonomy.

"Instead of being integrated into the Syrian army as units, it's being integrated individually, which means that basically it's not integrated at all," he asserted. He expressed skepticism that SDF fighters would willingly serve under the command of former adversaries.

"I can't imagine that individual SDF fighters would want to be part of an army that is basically run by the very people that they were fighting," he said, noting that President al-Sharaa previously had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head due to ties with extremist groups.

The agreement requires the full administrative and military handover of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa to the Syrian government, along with control of oil and gas fields. Galbraith interpreted these terms as the U.S. policy of giving the Syrian president "whatever he wants."

He argued that the U.S. should have issued an ultimatum to halt the attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo and insisted on the implementation of the March 10 terms or the January 4 draft. Instead, he claimed, the Trump administration facilitated a surrender.

Galbraith placed this development within a historical context of American foreign policy, citing a pattern of letting down Kurdish allies.

"I think the Kurds have a long enough history of being betrayed by the United States, going back to Henry Kissinger in 1975, George Bush Senior in 1991, Donald Trump in 2017 after the referendum, and Donald Trump again in 2019 for the Syrian Kurds," he observed.

He suggested that the current administration’s approach is driven partly by a desire to please regional powers like Saudi Arabia rather than a nuanced understanding of Syrian internal dynamics.

The former diplomat also voiced deep concern regarding the future governance of Syria. He criticized the agreement for lacking specific constitutional guarantees, noting, "There's no word in this agreement about a future constitution of Syria."

Galbraith argued that a centralized government has historically brought misery to the Middle East, citing the examples of Iraq under Saddam Hussein and previous Syrian regimes. He advocated for a federal or decentralized system as the only viable protection for Syria’s diverse population, which is 35 to 40 percent minority.

"All the minorities have to stand together, the Kurds, Alawites, Druze, Christians, and others. Otherwise, they're going to be attacked by the Islamist majority," he warned.

Galbraith’s assessment contrasts with the optimism expressed by regional leaders. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa publicly thanked President Masoud Barzani, President Trump, and French President Emmanuel Macron for their roles in facilitating the agreement. President Barzani, in a phone call with al-Sharaa, viewed the Syrian president's decree on Kurdish rights as a positive step establishing a foundation for Kurdish rights.

However,Galbraith remained skeptical of relying on the goodwill of the central government, urging Syrian Kurds to look to the example of Iraqi Kurds in the early 2000s. "The Syrian Kurds have to rely on themselves. They can't rely on the United States because under Trump, the United States is not a reliable partner," he advised. "They need to use their own resources."

While the Syrian Ministry of Defense has ordered a total ceasefire and the U.S. has endorsed the deal as a milestone for unity, Galbraith warned that lifting sanctions without conditions gives the regime permission to continue its aggressive policies.

He characterized the central government as consisting of individuals with backgrounds in Al-Qaeda and ISIS, asserting that "a lot of the same character that we saw in Al-Qaeda and ISIS is true of this government."

SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi stated on Monday that his forces were drawn into the conflict against their will and that the redeployment was necessary to protect civilians.

While General Abdi expressed commitment to defending the region’s achievements through political means, Galbraith’s analysis suggests that the structural reality of the new agreement—specifically the dissolution of SDF units—leaves the Kurdish population vulnerable. 

"The only way they join is they keep their units and they can protect the Northeast. That was the agreement two weeks ago," Galbraith concluded, lamenting that the opportunity had been lost due to deception and a lack of U.S. resolve.