Thematic Report 9: Prospects for NES – The Impact of Status Quo and US Withdrawal

This report explores the current status quo in northeast Syria (NES), its relation to US policy and how an eventual US withdrawal will play out if not preceded by a shift in the US’s current approach to NES and Syria generally. The information and findings in this report are the culmination of more than a year of returns context monitoring (RCM) research and analysis efforts in NES. In addition to semi-structured desk research and primary research carried out specifically for this report, the RCM reviewed data and analysis from previous RCM reports on NES.