What was the *realistic* end state that anyone had in mind for the Syrian Kurds? Those hoping for a new state to be carved out of NE Syria were always going to be disappointed given that such an outcome would have been directly against the interests of the three neighbouring states, plus the Iranians, plus all other states worried about secessionist movements. A small landlocked state surrounded by unfriendly neighbours would have needed perpetual outside assistance to remain independent: not an attractive proposition to the US or anyone else. And that’s assuming the Russians and Chinese agreed to new borders being drawn as a result of US assistance: highly unlikely, to put it mildly.

The very most the Kurds should have been aiming for was an autonomous region with Syrian regime border protection. By waiting until a crisis to make their approach to Assad, they’ve lost practically all the leverage they should have had in negotiating a settlement. So if the Americans are to be criticised, IMHO it’s for giving the Kurds the impression that any other end state was ever on the table.

The Kurds were certainly screwed over in the creation of the modern Middle East, but the ‘winners’ of that imperial line-drawing affair have little reason to give up the century-old status quo, least of all to assuage Western remorse.

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