Trump Envoy Confirms U.S. Approval for Integration of Foreign Fighters into New Syrian Army
Thousands of former Islamist militants—mostly Uyghurs—will join Syria’s 84th Division under U.S.-backed transition plan to avoid extremist resurgence.
Watan-Thomas Barrack, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy to Syria, confirmed on Monday that Washington has approved a Syrian plan to integrate thousands of former foreign militants—many of them ex-opposition fighters—into the new Syrian National Army, under the condition that the process is transparent.
Three senior Syrian defense officials revealed that the plan will incorporate around 3,500 foreign fighters, most of them Uyghurs from China and neighboring states, into a newly formed unit: the 84th Division, which will also include Syrian nationals.
According to a security source speaking to Al-Quds Al-Arabi, the division will be stationed in mountainous regions between Idlib and Latakia, reducing the risk of future separatist movements.
U.S. Sees Uyghur Fighter Integration as Strategic Leverage Against China
When asked by Reuters in Damascus if the U.S. had formally endorsed the inclusion of foreign fighters, Barrack—also U.S. Ambassador to Turkey— stated:”I believe there is mutual understanding and transparency.”
He added that it is better to incorporate these militants into state institutions than to leave them isolated, noting that many are “deeply loyal” to Syria’s transitional leadership.
From Global Concern to Strategic Integration
The fate of foreign fighters affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—a former al-Qaeda affiliate—has long been a thorny issue blocking Western cooperation with post-Assad Syria. The HTS-led revolution toppled the Assad regime last year after 13 years of war.
Until early May, the U.S. had demanded their exclusion from national security institutions. But Trump’s recent Middle East tour drastically reshaped Washington’s Syria stance. He lifted sanctions on Syria and appointed Barrack as special envoy after meeting interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Riyadh.
Sources from Syria’s Ministry of Defense told Reuters that Sharaa and his team convinced Western interlocutors that reintegrating foreign fighters was less risky than abandoning them, which might drive them back to ISIS or al-Qaeda.
China’s Unease Over Uyghur Militants
The Uyghur fighters, mainly linked to the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP)—a group Beijing designates as terrorist—have drawn China’s concern. A Syrian official and a foreign diplomat said China is working to diminish TIP’s footprint in Syria.
China’s foreign ministry commented:”We hope Syria opposes all forms of terrorism and extremism in line with international expectations.”
In a written statement to Reuters, TIP political officer Osman Bughra declared the group formally dissolved and now fully integrated into the Syrian army.
“We operate under the Ministry of Defense, follow Syrian state policy, and have no external affiliations,” he said.
In December, a handful of former foreign fighters—previously senior HTS figures—were appointed to high military posts, sparking Western alarm over Syria’s Islamist-led transition. Demands to reverse these appointments had dominated talks until Trump’s meeting with Al-Sharaa.
Al-Sharaa reportedly announced that foreign fighters and their families could be granted Syrian citizenship in recognition of their role in overthrowing Assad.
Expert Analysis: A Calculated Risk
Hassan Abu Haniya, an expert on jihadist movements, told Al-Quds Al-Arabi that Washington’s approval was expected. He said the U.S. is fully aware of the risks of leaving these fighters unintegrated, particularly during Syria’s fragile transitional phase.
He emphasized that the HTS force numbers only about 12,000, making it incapable of policing or detaining rogue elements, potentially pushing fighters toward al-Qaeda offshoots like Hurras al-Din or even a resurgent ISIS.
He also reminded that most fighters belong to the Turkistan Islamic Party, noting that the U.S. delisted TIP from its terrorist organizations in 2020, which many saw as part of Washington’s broader strategy to leverage Uyghur tensions against China.
“This move was pre-calculated. Al-Sharaa successfully persuaded Trump that excluding these fighters would lead to chaos—a scenario the U.S. aims to avoid,” Abu Haniya concluded.
