Periscope Depth 09/07/23: Kurdish Autonomy Under Pressure in Iraq and Syria

On Sept. 6, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the largest U.S-backed armed group in Syria, announced an end to its military operation in the tumultuous Deir Ezzor region in eastern Syria. The announcement came after days of fighting with several Arab tribes following the arrest of a local Arab military commander associated with the SDF. Ahmed Khbeil, also known as Abu Khawla, was the leader of the SDF’s Deir Ezzor Military Council, which oversees the Arab-majority...