For Syria's Kurds, Gaining Ground Is Only Half the Battle

Syrian Kurds are coming to grips with the fact that victory on the battlefield does not always translate into political gain. Locked out of the Geneva talks, sensing the weakness of President Bashar al Assad's government as the Russians withdraw, and keen to pre-empt further Turkish moves, the Syrian Kurds are headed toward enshrining their significant control over parts of northern Syria. But gaining legitimacy remains a very tall order....