AP Correspondent Sarah El Deeb on the Syrian War

> AND WE TURN NOW TO SERIOUS CIVIL WAR.

IT HAPPENS JUST AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP DECLARED THEM DEFEATED AND ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS GOING TO WITHDRAWAL TROOPS.

SARAH EL DEEB, SHE GUIDED MANY CONFLICTS ON THE GROUND AND THE HUMAN TOLL.

SYRIA IS A PLACE THAT HAS AT LEAST FOUR DIFFERENT CONFLICTS GOING ON.

BUT BEFORE WE GET TO HOW THOSE ARE PLAYING OUT, WHAT HAVE YOU WITNESSED ON THE GROUND.

WHAT IS LIFE LIKE THERE FOR SYRIANS.

IT DEPENDS ON WHICH PART OF SYRIA YOU ARE IN.

MANY CONFLICTS AND MANY STAGES.

I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS NORTH SYRIA FOR THE MOST PART WHERE OPPOSITION AND BRITISH AND U.S.

AND TURKISH FORCES ARE PRESENT.

SO IN THAT AREA, IN THE NORTHEAST, IT IS A MIX OF DEVASTATION AND POTENTIAL.

I THINK THERE ARE AREAS WHERE THERE HAS BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE AND DETERMINED FIGHTS AGAINST SOME STATES, SO CITIES AND ENTIRE BLOCKS AS WE HAVE SEEN HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THAT IS THE DEVASTATION THAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

ALSO AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN SPARED MOST OF THE CONDIFLICT.

SO PEACEFUL FARMLAND AND SECURE AREAS.

AND THEN THE ONE THING THAT IS INESCAPABLE IN ALL OF SYRIA IS DISPLACED.

IN EVERY AREA WHETHER IT WAS GOVERNMENT AREA OR OPPOSITION OR WHATEVER IN THIS STAGE, YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES AND ARE LIVING IN SQUALID CAMPS AND DESTROYED BUILDINGS AND MAINTAIN THEIR EXISTENCE.

SO LIFE IT IS A WAR ZONE.

SO LIFE IN A WAR ZONE IS ONLY GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT.

WELL, WE ESTIMATE ABOUT 4,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED.

ESTIMATES THAT ALMOST HALF A POPULATION HAS BEEN INTERNALLY DISPLACED OR LEFT THE COUNTRY.

WHAT DOES THAT DO TO A SOCIETY WHEN YOU HAVE THIS HAPPENING SWORD OF ENDLESSLY.

EIGHT YEARS ON, SYRIA THAT WAS IS NO LONGER.

AND SYRIA IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE SOCIETIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS, KURDS, IT WAS A VERY MIXED SOCIETY THAT RARELY FIND IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

AND I THINK THAT IS NO LONGER.

YOU HAVE, LIKE YOU SAID, 200 PEOPLE ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE DIED.

BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE REAL NUMBERS.

IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP TRACK OF THE KILLING.

YOU HAVE MORE THAN 100, AN ESTIMATED OF 100,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE MISSING.

WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.

THEY ARE IN PRISON OR UNDER GROUND SOMEWHERE.

6 MILLION PEOPLE THAT LEFT THE COUNTRY.

AND LIKE I SAID, ANOTHER 6 MILLION THAT ARE MOVING ABOUT IN DIFFERENT AREAS THAT ARE NOT THEIR HOMES.

SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS IS A COUNTRY THAT HAS BEEN CUT INTO PIECE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN PUT THAT TOGETHER IF THE CONFLICT IS STILL CONTINUING UNTIL NOW.

WHEN IT COMES TO TERRITORY, HAS ASSAD RETAKEN THE LAND.

60% OF THE LAND.

IT IS DEFINITELY BETTER THAN IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO.

HE HAS A LOT OF HELP FROM THE A ALLIES.

AND ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE, THIS HAS DISSIPATED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

NO LONGER THE CASE.

BUT HE DOES NOT HAVE CONTROL OF THE OIL RESOURCES FOR INSTANCE WHICH MAJORITY OF THEM ARE CONCENTRATED IN THE EAST.

A LOT OF WATER RESOURCES THAT ARE IN ALSO IN THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL PART OF SYRIA.

AND I DON'T THINK HE HAS CONTROL OF THE POPULATION.

LIKE I SAID, 60 MILLION LIVING ABROAD.

AND THEN YOU HAVE SIX OTHER LIVING ON THE MOVE.

PLUS A PERCENT OF TERRITORY.

SO HE DOES, BUT THERE IS STILL AREAS OUTSIDE HIS CONTROL AND I THINK SO LONG AS THIS IS THE CASE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE UNREST.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SECOND FRAME WHICH IS THE TURKS VERSUS THE KURDS FIGHTING.

I WOULDN'T DESCRIBE IT THAT WAY.

I THINK TURKEY IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE GROWING INFLUENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY AND AUTONOMY, IT HAS SAID THAT FROM THE BEGINNING AND WORKED THROUGH CURTAIL OR PREVENT THAT.

THE KURDS ARE LOOKING FOR AUTONOMY.

THEY DO APPEAR, AT TIMES IN THE CONFLICT, THEY DID APPEAR TO BE THE BIGGEST WINNER OF THIS CONFLICT.

AND I THINK THAT IS CHANGING.

AS I THINK TURKEY HAS WORKED TO PUSH THEM OUT OF THAT AREA.

IT SAID IT WILL, IT IS SEEKING TO ESTABLISH A 20-KILOMETER SAFETY ZONE AND WANTS TO PUSH THE KURDS OUT OF THE AREA.

LET'S PUT THAT IN CONTEXT OF THE UNITED STATES VERSUS THE ISLAMIC STATE.

HOW DOES THAT HAVE AN EFFECT ON THAT FIGHT BETWEEN THE KURDS AND THE TURKS?

I DON'T THINK THE U.S. EVER OPENS IT SUPPORTS THE AUTONOMY ENTITY.

THE U.S. IS IN THERE TO FIGHT AGAINST ISIS AND FOUND A PARTNER IN THE KURDISH FORCES.

BUT IT IS ALSO AN ALLY, NATO MEMBER LIKE TURKEY.

SO ALWAYS IN A DIFFICULT CONDITION TO KEEP BOTH HAPPY.

TURKEY WANTS THE U.S. TO WORK WITH TURKEY TO FIGHT ISIS IN THE AREA.

AND THE U.S. DID NOT FIND WHAT IT WAS LOOKING FOR IN THE TURKEY FORCE OR IN THE TURKEY PREPARED FORCE TO FIGHT ISIS IN THAT AREA.

SO I THINK IT WAS ALWAYS A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION, THE U.S.

WAS FINDING ITSELF IN.

AND I FEEL LIKE WE JUST PUSHED IT DOWN THE ROAD AND NOW WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO WORK WITH TURKEY AND STILL PROTECT THOSE PARTNERS THAT YOU WORKED WITH FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS TO FIGHT AGAINST OPENLY.

THEY FEEL SHOCKED, WORRIED AND THEY FEEL LIKE THEY PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORTS AND FIGHTERS AND RELIED ON A PARTNER THAT IS GOING TO LEAVE THEM IN A FACE OF ADVANCING ENEMY FORCE.

I THINK THEY HAVE NOT DROPPED THE BALL, I THINK FROM WHAT I HEAR, THEY STILL TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO WORK WITH THE AMERICANS TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THEIR EXISTENCE IN THE AREA.

IT IS VERY COMPLEX SITUATION AND I DON'T KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS EXACTLY TO SEE HOW THIS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO WORK OUT.

I DON'T SEE HOW TURKEY WILL ACCEPT ANY FORM OF KURDISH ALONG THEIR BORDER.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE VICE PRESIDENT HAVE SAID ISIS IS DEFEATED.

YET, WE JUST HAD A BOMBING THAT KILLED 19 PEOPLE INCLUDING FOUR AMERICANS, IS THAT A SIGN FROM I ISIS THAT IT IS NOT DONE?

CLEARLY IT IS NOT DONE.

IT IS THERE AND ABLE TO CARRY OUT ATTACKS.

THEY ARE ALWAYS INCIDENTS HERE AND THERE.

AND THERE ARE STILL INCIDENTS.

ALSO, SECURITY ALERTS AND ATTACKS ATTEMPTED ATTACKS.

AND I THINK TERRITORILY, IT DIMINISHED.

AT ONE POINT IN CONTROL OF THIS WHOLE SECTION OF SYRIA AND LARGE SECTIONS OF IRAQ.

BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN SAY THAT THE GROUP IS FINISHED.

I THINK THE GROUP IS PRESENT AND AMONG POPULATION.

I THINK THEY HAVE A SLIVER OF LAND STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF SOUTHEAST SYRIA ABOUT 15 KILOMETERS THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY CLEARLY.

BUT I THINK THEY ARE, THEY ARE STILL MOVING AROUND.

WE HAVEN'T ARRESTED THE TOP LEADERS.

WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY HAVE GONE.

THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE THAT COME OUT WHO ARE FOREIGN FIGHTERS AND FAMILIES OF THE FOREIGN FAMILIES THAT ARE STILL MOVING WITH THE REFUGEE POPULATION.

SO I DON'T THINK THE GROUP IS OVER OBVIOUSLY.

WITH ALL OF THIS GOING ON, WHAT IS THE MOST PRESSING PROBLEMS IN SYRIA?

HUMANS ARE THE MOST PRESSING PROBLEMS.

YOU HAVE PEOPLE LIVING IN SQUALLER CONDITIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

UNDER CONTINUED VIOLENCE.

YOU HAVE POTENTIAL CONFLICT COMING UP.

3 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN THAT AREA AMONG EXTREMIST GROUPS AND OTHER GROUPS.

GOVERNMENT IS ALWAYS THREATENING TO HAVE OFFENSE IN THAT AREA.

THE BRITISH POPULATION LIVING IN THE NORTHEAST OF SYRIA, WHERE WOULD THEY GO?

TURKEY MAKES STATEMENTS ABOUT HOW IT WILL PROTECT AND SAFE GUARD THE LIVES AND THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE KURDS LIVING IN THAT AREA.

BUT WITH ALL OF THE ANIMOSITY THAT HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE YEARS, THOSE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO FLEE SOMEWHERE.

CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS.

THE SENSE OF SECURITY THAT WAS DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH THE U.S. PRESENCE IN THE AREA.

IT IS STILL A CONFLICT ZONE.

AND THERE IS STILL ATTACKS HERE AND THERE.

BUT THERE WAS A SENSE OF NORMALCY.

A COMMERCIAL TIME WITH NINE OR SIX SOCCER TEAMS THAT PLAY FOOTBALL.

AND TRADE BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST.

AND THESE PEOPLE, HALF OF THEM, WILL HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO LIVE IN THERE WAS WITH THE LOOMING OFFENSIVE FROM EITHER TURKEY OR THE GOVERNMENT OR JUST CHANGE EVENT.

I DON'T THINK THE U.S. HAS TO STAY IN SYRIA FOREVER.

A NEGOTIATION FOR THE FATE OF THESE PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY PROVIDE SOME SENSE OF SECURITY AND STABILITY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN CONFLICT NOR EIGHT YEARS.

IS THAT THE EFFECT, TO GIVE PEOPLE IN THE REGION A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE?

I DON'T WANT TO OVERRATE THAT, THE IMPORTANCE OF 2,000 TROOPS.

BUT I THINK THEY WERE PRESENCE THAT MEANT A CERTAIN DEGREE OF LEVERAGE.

CONTINUED BATTLE AGAINST ELEMENTS OF ISIS.

AND INTELLIGENCE WORK THAT WAS TO PREVENT THE MILITANTS FROM REGROUPING.

AND THE FACT THAT MEMBERS WHERE, UNDER CONSTANT THREAT OF POSSIBLE OFFENSIVE, THEY WERE HAPPY THAT THEY HAD THEIR ALLIES THERE FROM TAKING PLACE.

THERE NEEDED TO BE A NEGOTIATION.

WITH PULLING OUT, YOU DON'T HAVE A CARD TO NEGOTIATE.

WHAT ARE THE RIPPLE EFFECTS ON THE ENTIRE REGION.

IN JORDAN AND TURKEY AND LEBANON.

AND SEEMS TO BE A DESTABILIZING FORCE TO THESE OTHER COUNTRIES.

IT HAS, IT IS A CONFLICT IN THE CENTER OF THE ARAB MIDDLE EAST WITH EVERYONE ELSE AROUND INTERESTED IN BATTLING IT OUT ON THAT TERRITORY.

IT DEFINITELY IS FOR SPOTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST RIGHT NOW.

YOU HAVE BEEN COVERING THE MIDDLE EAST FOR A LONG TIME AND BASED THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

WHAT HAS THE LAST THREE YEARS BEEN LIKE IN COVERING THIS WAR FOR YOU.

YOU GO IN AND OUT OF SYRIA WHICH CAN'T BE AN EASY SITUATION EITHER FROM A SECURITY PERSPECTIVE OR AS A WOMAN GOING INTO THE ZONES.

IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR A LONG TIME TO ACCESS SYRIA.

THERE WAS A PERIOD WHERE MOST JOURNALIST COULD NOT GO TO SYRIA AND WHEN WE FINALLY DID, IT WAS NOT, IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT EASY, YOU HAVE TO TRAVEL BY LAND, SECURITY PREPARATION AND GO INTO AREAS WHERE YOU DON'T KNOW, THERE ARE NO CLEAR FRONT LINES LIKE WHEN ISIS WAS IN THE AREA AND WE HAD TO COVER THE BATTLE FOR RAQQA FOR INSTANCE.

THEY DROP BOMBS ON YOU.

DEFINITELY, I WOULD SAY THAT COVERING SYRIA WAS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING EXPERIENCES THAT I HAD.

SECURITY AND ALSO HUMANITY, THE EXTENT OF SUFFERING IN ALL PARTS OF SYRIA, IT IS JUST UNIMAGINABLE.

IT IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE TO TRY TO CONVEY THIS.

PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF HEARING WHAT CONFLICT AND WARS AND DISPLACEMENT, BUT YOU CANNOT STOP TELLING THE STORY.

THIS HAS REAL EFFECTS ON REAL PEOPLE.

PEOPLE ARE SEPARATED, FUTURE LOST.

HAVING THAT HAS BEEN, AND YOU DON'T SEE AN END IN SIGHT.

AND THAT HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT ASPECT OF COVERING THIS WAR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.