US Plans For Border Security Force in Syria May Spawn Separatist Movement

CAIRO (Sputnik) - The creation of the so-called Border Security Force (BSF) on the Syrian territory controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) may lead to separation of several regions from the territory of the Syrian state, a member of the opposition's delegation to the Astana talks told Sputnik.

"Currently, the United States may not be aiming to create a new map of Syria, this step [the establishment of a border security force in Syria], however, could encourage such efforts, pursued by separatist forces. So, a new map of Syria may become a reality in future," Fateh Hassoun said on Monday.

According to the member of the opposition delegation, the creation of the BSF had a number of goals.

"The first goal of [establishing a border security force in Syria] is to prevent the deployment of the Turkish armed forces being along the [Syrian] border. The second aim is to create a region with secured borders that may demand secession. There are other goals that are not meant for disclosure," the official added.

Hassoun suggested that among the goals, pursued by the United States while creating the BSF, could be stepping up its influence in the region by reducing Russia’s one and provoking Turkey.

On Saturday, the Defense Post news website published an article, in which the spokesman of the US-led coalition fighting against the Daesh terrorist group, said that the coalition was engaged in a training of a 30,000-strong force on the territory within Syria currently controlled by the SDF to maintain security in the area along the Syrian border.

According to the opposition delegate, the Unites States could have created the core of the security force from the Free Syrian Army troops instead of the SDF militias.

On Monday, Russia and Turkey as guarantor states of the Syrian ceasefire regime, condemned the US moves. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that they did not contribute to the settlement of the Syrian conflict but caused concerns that the course for the division of Syria had been set. For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to eliminate these troops and begin the operation in Afrin "at any moment," with the local media having already reported the deployment of Turkish armored vehicles along the border.