Qamishli

Yes, I travel to Syria regularly.

I've got an office in Qamishli, Syria.

It's in the northeast in the predominantly Kurdish area, right near border crossing that's soon to open with Turkey.

Words Warriors was founded on the battlefield.

But on the ground, the situation is still developing, still moving towards full integration.

When you go today to Qamishli, uh, I mean, uh, I should, uh, say that I haven't been there in about a month, but I'm hoping to go soon.

Um, you definitely feel that you're leaving government-controlled areas and entering into the areas that were under the control of the SDF and still nominally are.

So the integration that has occurred, um, you know, there's three different tracks.

Um, but on the ground, you know, there's still aspects of the autonomous administration, still offices that are operating, um, of the SDF and of the internal security forces, the Asayish.

Um, there are thousands that are still outside the formal integration process.

And when you're in Qamishli, like, um, again, this is, I was, I've been there a couple of times in the last couple of months.

I haven't been there in about a month.