With US leaving, rival powers seek to move into Syria's east

SUMMARY

The planned US troop withdrawal opens up a void in the north and east of Syria, and the conflicts and rivalries among all the powers in the Middle East are converging to fill it. The sudden American decision to pull out its 2,000 troops has forced a reassessment of old alliances and partnerships. The Syrian government, the Kurds, Russia, Iran, Israel and Turkey have all had a hand in the country's nearly eight-year war — each in a way, fighting its own war for its own reasons within Syria. Now all of those conflicts play out in the territory being abandoned by the Americans, creating new tensions, potential chaos and bloodshed.

By APJan 6, 2019 1:02:41 PM IST (Published)

A US soldier stands in a newly installed position near the front line between the U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council and the Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

Turkish troops and pro-Turkey Syrian fighters try to take control of Bursayah hill, which separates the Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin from the Turkey-controlled town of Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo, File)

A soldier waves a Turkish flag as Turkish troops secure Bursayah hill, which separates the Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin from the Turkey-controlled town of Azaz, Syria. (AP Photo, File)

A member of the Kurdish internal security forces holds his weapon during a patrol in Manbij, north Syria. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

A video provided by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows missiles flying into the sky near Damascus, Syria. (SANA via AP, File)

Kurdish internal security forces stand on their vehicle in front of a giant poster showing portraits of fighters killed fighting against the Islamic State group, in Manbij, north Syria. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)