DURHAM, N.C. -- A Syrian Kurdish refugee on Wednesday said his family still in the region has had to take up arms since the withdrawal of most U.S. troops.
- A refugee who now lives in Durham said his family back in Syria has had to take up arms as the Turks have invaded
- He says many Kurds fear ethnic cleansing or retribution from the Assad regime if they are left to fend for themselves
- He says Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death doesn't diminish the threat of ISIS to Kurds or to the world
Zubair Rushk fled his hometown of Hasakah, in the predominantly Kurdish northwestern Syria, in 2010. His parents, two of his brothers, and a sister still live there.
Turkish troops invaded the region last month after President Donald Trump announced he would withdraw most U.S. troops. The invasion caused his father and brothers to join the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, in order to protect their families and their homes.
“I have to speak with them every couple of days,” he said. “Usually, before the invasion, we would speak once a month, but because of the invasion and changes happening so dramatically, we have to be in touch with each other.”
Rushk, who earned a degree in Peace, War, and Defense from UNC Chapel Hill, said he sees three possible scenarios if things continue in Syria as they are now.
One is that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime reasserts control over northern Syria and seeks retribution against the Kurds who backed U.S. troops. Another is Turkish troops establish control and conduct an ethnic cleansing campaign. The third is that Russia asserts control over the region. In all three scenarios, he said there would be no future for any western country in the Middle East.
Rushk said last month's raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is unlikely to change the political landscape. He said al-Baghdadi was just one person and ISIS sleeper cells remain a threat to the Kurdish people and to the world.
A number of international aid organizations are working to provide assistance to Syrian refugees. You can learn more about them and donate to them below.
International Committee of the Red Cross
