US-Brokered Cease-fire Announced in Northeast Syria

Facts

• The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-backed fighters agreed to a cease-fire early on Wednesday in the northern city of Manbij after US mediation.^[1][2]
• SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced that fighters of the Manbij Military Council, who had been responding to the attacks since Nov. 27, would withdraw from the area as soon as possible.^[1][3]
• The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights accused Turkish-backed factions of engaging in looting and burning homes in Manbij, including attacks on wounded soldiers in a hospital, though this could not be immediately verified.^[4]
• US Central Command Chief General Michael Kurilla visited US bases in northeast Syria, which the Kurdish-dominated SDF controls, to assess force protection measures and prevent the Islamic State (IS) from potentially exploiting the situation.^[5][6]
• US Sec. of State Antony Blinken is preparing to visit Turkey for discussions about Syria's future and potential agreements between the SDF and Ankara. The US has said it will continue to work with the SDF.^[4][6]
• Turkey has accused the SDF of being a front for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought an armed campaign in Turkey for decades. Turkey supports a loose coalition of militant factions in Syria under the Syrian National Army (SNA). Some of these groups, as well as the SDF, have been accused of committing war crimes.^[4][7][8]

Sources: ^[1]Reuters, ^[2]AA, ^[3]Hindustan Times, ^[4]The Telegraph, ^[5]Barron's, ^[6]Al Arabiya, ^[7]Human Rights Watch and ^[8]Euro.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The New York Times. The SDF seeks to work toward stability in Syria and engage in a political process to find a productive solution to the country's many challenges, while also maintaining the fight against IS. Indeed, the SDF will continue to resist Turkey's attempts to destabilize Syria, as this could lead to an IS resurgence.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by AA. Everyone knows, including the US, that the SDF acts as a front for the PKK, a designated terrorist organization, and has caused severe strife and destruction in both Turkey and Syria. Turkey and its allies' actions are ultimately defensive, as the SDF has worked to create a terrorist safe haven along the Turkish border, which is simply unacceptable.