Syria: US-Backed Forces Suspend Anti-IS Operations

Facts

• The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday that it would suspend “all coordination and joint counterterrorism operations” with the US-led coalition battling remnants of the Islamic State (IS), as well as “all the joint special operations we were carrying out regularly.”
• The SDF stated that the reason for the decision was Turkey's alleged increased attacks on SDF-controlled territory in northern Syria following the bombing of a popular tourist street in Istanbul last month.
• Turkey believes that the attack was carried out by a Kurdish militant group associated with the People's Protection Units (YPG), a key component of the SDF, and considers it an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which the US and EU have designated a "terrorist" group.
• Another reason the SDF gave for the halt in operations was the need for "intellectual energy or planning" to protect northeastern Syria from a potential Turkish ground invasion.
• Washington is both an ally of the SDF and Turkey, complicating the situation. Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters that operations against IS had not stopped.
• However, Ryder said on Tuesday that the US had reduced the number of partnered patrols with the SDF, as the SDF had reduced the number of their own patrols after Turkish strikes in the region and ahead of the feared ground invasion by Ankara.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Al-Awsat, National News, and Reuters.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Rudaw. Though Turkey says it's fighting terrorism, in reality, it's just attacking the Kurdish people. Turkey has always sided with groups like IS when it served its interests, and another ground invasion would be a gift to the group as SDF forces would be pulled from other regions in northeast Syria to resist Turkish aggression, thus allowing IS fighters to regroup and launch attacks. The US must pressure its so-called ally into not attacking northern Syria.
• Narrative B, as provided by Daily Sabah. Turkey can't allow rampant terror on its border with Syria. Though the SDF pretends to be some sort of bulwark against IS, Turkey has consistently proven a reliable partner against the group. The Turkish army has killed over 4k IS terrorists, and its local Syrian allies, the Syrian National Army, are more than capable of handling security in northern Syria. Turkey must respond to Kurdish terrorism.