Local Arab Tribes Challenge Western Occupation of Northern Syria

As the United States has moved to cement its military presence in northern Syria with French support, its forces have faced an unexpected challenge from local Arab tribal militias which have grown more resolute in their opposition to Western intervention in the country. U.S. forces are currently tasked with guarding oil facilities in Syria, which are making considerable revenues that are appropriated by the United States. These revenues are reportedly being used to fund the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a pro-Western militia which is operating alongside U.S. forces in northern Syria and has pledged to topple the internationally recognised Syrian government. The presence of Western forces in Syria remains illegal under international law, as deployment of U.S. and French units to Syrian territory has neither the authorisation of the United Nations Security Council or the government in Damascus. Both Washington and Paris have in the past pledged to work towards the overthrow of the Syrian government, although Damascus has regained control over the vast majority of the country from islamist insurgents with only the U.S. held regions and Turkish held Idlib province remaining as enclaves for the insurgency. 

Arab tribes have reportedly accused the Western backed Syrian Democratic Forces of assassinating their tribal sheikhs, and have given them one month to withdraw or else face attack. Prominent tribal leaders have pledged to fight against what they described as "American occupiers" and the militants from the Democratic Forces. The SDF has also been accused of appropriating Syrian resources, a likely reference to ongoing American oil extraction to fund the militias. It remains uncertain whether tribal forces will receive government support to place pressure on Western and SDF forces, but it is likely that the U.S. and other Western parties will seek to undermine their legitimacy by depicting them as proxies of the Syrian government or of Syria’s close ally Russia - as has been the case in the past. Statements condemning the U.S. and the SDF come after elders of the Arab Al Uqaydat tribe met in the Syrian province of Deir ez Zor earlier in August, agreeing that the U.S.-led coalition was responsible for murdering tribal sheikhs including the recent assassination of Sheikh Mutashar Al Hafil and his relative Dar Mihlef Al Khalaf. U.S. and Turkish forces in Syria have faced considerable local opposition including seeing stones and bricks frequently thrown at their military vehicles by locals, although it remains uncertain how well armed local tribal forces are and whether they will be able to place serious pressure on U.S. and French forces and their SDF partners. Although U.S. forces number only a few thousand, they are supported by aircraft both from the U.S. Navy and from regional bases which can provide considerable air support.