American Kurdish Advocate (AKA) expresses its deep appreciation for the bipartisan leadership behind the Save the Kurds Act, introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

This legislation represents a necessary and long-overdue commitment by the United States to protect its most reliable and effective partners in the fight against terrorism, the Kurdish people. For more than a decade, Kurdish forces have been the United States’ principal ground partner in the fight against ISIS, operating alongside United State forces and carrying a disproportionate share of the combat burden.

More than 15,000 Kurdish fighters were killed and over 30,000 were wounded while advancing core United State interests, including counterterrorism, regional stability, and civilian protection. Their sacrifice was instrumental in defeating ISIS’s territorial control and directly strengthening United State national security.

While defeating Islamic State (ISIS) alongside United State forces, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also built and defended inclusive, democratic institutions that reflected core American values. Kurdish regions became a rare safe haven for religious and ethnic minorities across Syria, including Christians, Druze, and Arab communities, even as they remained under constant attack from ISIS and other hostile actors. Today, those same Kurdish allies continue to face persistent threats, displacement, and violence that place both regional stability and United States credibility at risk. Failure to protect them would undermine deterrence, embolden adversaries, and send a damaging message to current and future United States partners worldwide
Over the past year, reported ceasefire violations and attacks on Kurdish civilians have underscored the limits of political arrangements absent enforceable protections. While Kurdish leaders support recent developments between the Kurdish-led SDF and the Syrian interim government and remain committed to de-escalation and stability, history counsels caution. Agreements alone have repeatedly failed to protect Kurdish civilians from renewed violence.

As a global leader, the United States has long played a decisive role in protecting its allies, a role reflected in its security commitments and actions around the world. Clear United States policy signals matter. Without statutory backing, our Kurdish allies remain exposed to shifting political winds and renewed aggression.
The Save the Kurds Act is therefore essential. It reinforces United States commitments, deters further attacks, and ensures accountability for actions that threaten the United States’ allies and interests. Just as importantly, it sends a message heard well beyond Syria: the United States’ partnerships are not transactional or temporary, and the United States does not treat those who stand with it as disposable.
Across the United States, the Kurdish-American community has mobilized from the ground up in support of the Save the Kurds Act. Kurdish-American constituents stand ready to work with the United States Senate to advance this legislation and to serve as committed partners in promoting stability, pluralism, and democratic values for Kurdish communities in Syria, consistent with the principles the United States advances around the world.

American Kurdish Advocate urges the United States Senate to act decisively and advance the Save the Kurds Act without delay. Protecting our Kurdish allies is not merely a policy choice; it is a measure of whether the United States honors its commitments, upholds its credibility, and leads with principle when its allies are under threat. American Kurdish Advocate stands ready to work in close partnership with the Senate, the Administration, and civil society to ensure that Kurdish allies are protected from future threats and afforded the security and dignity they have earned through sacrifice and partnership.

For Media inquiries: Alan Boblane (aboblane@akausa.org)