Mazloum Abdi is the leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia that was America's partner in the decade-long campaign against Islamic State. After the SDF's collapse in early 2026, Mr Abdi was offered three army divisions and a senior defence post in Syria's government under Ahmed al-Sharaa, but the deal fell through. The SDF's units are to be dismantled and its fighters integrated into the Syrian army without Kurdish-majority units.
If a thing's worth having, it's worth cheating for.