World View: As More American Troops Are Deployed to Syria, the Endgame Is More Uncertain
Contents: Hundreds of American troops deployed to Syria in support of local forces; As more US troops enter Syria, the endgame becomes fuzzier
al-Bab
War Monitor Disputes Turkey’s Claim Islamic State Is Almost Defeated in al-Bab
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a U.K.-based group that uses ground sources to monitor the war in Syria, reports that “there is not truth” to the Turkish military’s claim that it is close to capturing the Syrian town of al-Bab, an Islamic State stronghold located 20 miles from the Turkish border.
Russian Airstrike ‘Accidentally’ Kills Turkish Soldiers in Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a Russian airstrike that both governments claim accidentally struck a building in Syria occupied by Turkish soldiers.
World View: Investigation Reveals Depraved Atrocities by Syria’s Bashar al-Assad
Contents: Investigation reveals depraved new atrocities by Syria’s Bashar al-Assad; Epicenter of Syrian conflict moves from Aleppo to Idlib and al-Bab
Erdogan: Turkish Troops Want Role in Raqqa ‘Because Turkey Is a Global Power’
On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for cooperation between the U.S., Russia, Iran, and Turkey to “establish a stable and terror-free zone” in Syria.
Russia: Erdogan’s Vow to Topple Assad ‘Really Came as News to Us’
The question of whether Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed his suddenly-announced plans to overthrow the Assad regime with Russian President Vladimir Putin when the two were holding telephone conferences about the Syrian crisis last week appears to have been answered.
Erdogan: Turkey Entered Syria to ‘End the Rule of the Tyrant Assad’
On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that his country’s armed forces were not just in Syria to battle ISIS and al-Qaeda terrorists (and, uncomfortably for U.S. policymakers, America’s Kurdish allies) but were on a mission to overthrow the Syrian regime.
World View: Turkey, Syria, Kurds, Islamic State Converge in al-Bab
Contents: Turkey, Syria, Kurds, ISIS converging on a major military confrontation in al-Bab; Syrian airstrike on Turkish forces threatens wider war
World View: Turkey Plans Assault on Syria’s Kurds, as U.S.-Russia Announce Another Peace Deal
Contents: Turkey presses to establish a ‘no-fly zone’ in northern Syria; Turkey’s forces and Kurdish forces set to clash in Manbij; US and Russia once again announced a peace deal in Syria
Islamic State Abducts Dozens of Kurdish Civilians in Aleppo
Islamic State militants kidnapped dozens of Kurdish civilians Tuesday in the region around Aleppo in northern Syria, in response to major losses suffered to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in recent days.
