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1 1 (January 8, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/govenxv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congresaonal Rasearch SerV n forming the I egisIative debate since 1914 Syria and U.S. Policy Updated January 8, 2024 Since 2011, conflict between the government of Syrian President Bashar al Asad and opposition forces seeking his removal has displaced roughly half of the country's population and killed over half a million people. Five countries operate in or maintain military forces in Syria: Russia, Turkey (Tirkiye), Iran, Israel, and the United States. The United States supports a negotiated political settlement to the Syria conflict in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254 and seeks the enduring defeat of the Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS/ISIL). U.S. policymakers work to address threats posed by IS remnants and detainees, counter Al Qaeda, facilitate humanitarian access to Syria, and manage Russian, Turkish, and Iranian challenges to U.S. operations. Earthquakes in February 2023 and resurgent Russia-backed government attacks on rebel held areas of northwest Syria have created additional humanitarian needs. Following the October 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel and Israel's military operations in Gaza, Iran-backed militia have attacked U.S. military personnel in Syria, prompting U.S. response strikes. Areas of Control The Asad Government The Asad government-backed by Russia, Iran, and aligned Syrian and foreign militia forces-controls about two thirds of Syria's territory, including most major cities. In 2021, President Asad won a fourth seven-year term; U.S. officials described the election as an insult to democracy. Some armed resistance to Asad's rule remains, but the Arab League and some Arab states have normalized relations with the government and engage Asad and his senior officials directly. Kurdis-Arab Military and Civilian Authorities After the defeat of the Islamic State by the largely Kurdish U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Kurdish authorities and their Arab partners in northeast Syria established the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as the Self Administration of Northeast Syria (SANES). The SDF and its political wing (the Syrian Democratic Council, SDC) play a leading role in the AANES, whose leaders have stated that it is not aligned with either the Asad government or with opposition forces. Turkey has clashed with the main Kurdish group within the SDF because of its links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Turkish strikes in Syria following an October 2023 PKK attack in Turkey damaged civilian infrastructure in areas under AANES control. Some Arab tribal forces have taken up arms against the SDF since August 2023, with reported Syrian government support. Opposition and Extremist Forces Opposition-held areas of northwest Syria are administered by the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG). The SSG was established in 2017 and is affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al Sham, which is an FTO due to its links to Al Qaeda. Many residents of this area have been displaced from areas of Syria now under Asad control, and an estimated 75% depend on U.N. assistance to meet their basic needs. Turkish Forces and Aligned Militias Turkish-held areas of northern Syria include territories occupied by Turkish forces in cooperation with Syrian Arab proxy forces. In these areas, Turkey has established local councils subordinate to the Turkish provinces they border, with Turkish provincial governments overseeing the provision of some basic services. Figure I. Syria: Areas of Influence Areas of Influence November 14, 2023 8 Border crossing Data:ianes Conflict Monitor Source: CRS, using ESRI and U.S. State Department data. The Islamic State U.S. military officials assess that the Islamic State operates as a cohesive, low-level insurgency, targeting Asad government forces in southwest Syria and the central Syrian desert, and the SDF in northern and eastern Syria. Islamic State Detainees. The SDF continues to hold about 10,000 IS fighters in 26 detention facilities across northern Syria. In January 2022, U.S. forces joined SDF forces in a lengthy battle to retake a prison seized by IS fighters. The SDF also retains custody of up to 47,000 people linked to the Islamic State (mostly women and children) at the Al Hol IDP camp. U.S. officials assess that the Islamic State views its fighters in detention and the population in the Al Hol displaced persons camp as keys to its resurgence. In the Senate, the committee-reported FY2024 foreign aid appropriations bill (S. 2438) would direct $25 million to the Administration's Al Hol Action Plan. 2023 Earthquakes In February 2023, successive 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border, resulting in over 47,000 fatalities across both countries. Within Syria, the northwest-including areas controlled by

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