Power Struggle

As the dust settles following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, new front lines could be drawn in Syria's old civil war

- TOMO'CONNOR

THE SUDDEN DOWNFALL OF LONGTIME SYR-ian President Bashar al-Assad at the hands of a rapid rebel offensive has brought a dramatic turn to Syria's nearly 14-year civil war. While opponents of the ousted government are elated, there are also deep-rooted concerns for the many uncertain-ties that lie ahead.

Now all eyes are on the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, group—a former Al-Qaeda affil-iate—and its charismatic leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, as questions arise as to his willingness and capacity to come through on promises to eschew extremism and oversee a more prosperous and inclusive future for Syria.

However, new front lines are already being drawn.

Fears are mounting of a fight along the lines of control between the insurgent coali-tion and the United States-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led faction that wields effective control over nearly a third of the nation in the north and east. Among the opposition ranks are the Syrian National Army, backed by U.S. NATO ally Tur-key, which views the SDF as an offshoot of the sepa-ratist Kurdistan Workers' Party, known as the PKK.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly vowed to eradicate the PKK in Syria and Iraq, including during an interview with News-week in July and in subsequent comments delivered since Assad was ousted from power on December 8.

Tensions are now looming particularly heavy over the northern city of Kobani, which was once viewed as a symbol of the Islamic State militant group's defeat at the hands of the U.S.-SDF partner-ship. Riad Darar, adviser to the presidency of the SDF's political wing, the Syrian Democratic Coun-cil, told Newsweek that the SDF stronghold located along the Syria-Turkey border could soon “become a turning point” in another crucial battle.