By Herb McCoyWhy is the US given credit in the headline? Why are they even mentioned at all? This was a joint military alliance of which the US was just one part of the fight against IS, yet the article mentions the US in the headline and again in the opening sentence before the SDF is mentioned at all, and the YPG isn't mentioned once, despite making up the bulk of SDF troops.
My guess would be arms, money, and air support.
The article mentions the US multiple times, talks about the position of White House officials and Donald Trump. It doesn't even mention Rojava, the YPG or the fact that while the US is happy to fight alongside the YPG, the US government fails to recognise the legitimacy of Rojava.
I think we should be backing the Kurds to the hilt as well, but practical politix sez it ain't gonna happen. There are too many both Arab and Turkmen (and Russian) players to be placated. Look what happened when the Kurds in Iraq declared their autonomy. It wasn't a pretty sight, and Kurds sold out Kurds. A back door approach, however distasteful, makes more sense to everyone but the YPG.
Sources:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Democratic_Forces
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/People"s_Protection_Units
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rojava