Oct 25 Esper says U.S. troops, armored vehicles going to Syria oil fields By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press The U.S. will send armored reinforcements into eastern Syria to bolster defenses against a potential move by Islamic State militants on oil fields controlled by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Friday. Continue reading
Oct 23 Watch 5:32 For northern Syrians who endured ISIS, U.S. withdrawal means a new struggle to survive More than 170,000 people have fled their homes in northern Syria since Turkey launched its offensive two weeks ago. Civilians in the area have lived through years of unrest, including revolution against the Assad regime, the battle to defeat ISIS… Continue watching
Oct 22 Watch 11:39 Turning to Putin, Erdogan ignores U.S. agreement for northeastern Syria As a cease-fire in northern Syria expired Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders announced a joint plan to evict Kurdish YPG fighters from northeast Syria -- displeasing Syrian President Bashar… Continue watching
Oct 21 Watch 5:30 ‘Trump betrayed us’: Fleeing Kurds condemn U.S. decision to leave Syria By Jane Ferguson As U.S. troops follow President Trump's orders and pull out of northeast Syria, they leave behind men they fought side by side with against the Islamic State group. Amid fears of ethnic cleansing by Turkey, the Kurds have agreed to… Continue watching
Oct 16 In Iraq, concern that Syria chaos would bring back ISIS By Hadi Mizban, Associated Press Iraq's defense minister on Wednesday expressed concerns that the Islamic State group could take advantage of Turkey's invasion of northern Syria to destabilize Iraq, saying that a number of militants have been able to escape detention in Syria amid the… Continue reading
Oct 14 Watch 3:54 As U.S. departs Syria, Kurds join Assad regime to fight a NATO ally In the days since the announced withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria, the country’s map is being redrawn. Both Turkey and the Russia-backed Syrian regime made territorial advances, and U.S.-partner Syrian Democratic Forces turned to Damascus for support. As… Continue watching
Oct 14 Watch 7:46 What Trump’s Syria withdrawal means for the Kurds, Russia and American allies President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from northern Syria has profound implications for stability both within Syria and throughout the Middle East. Nick Schifrin talks to the University of Oklahoma’s Joshua Landis and career diplomat Ted Kattouf of Amideast… Continue watching
Oct 11 Syrian Kurds say Turkish shells hit ISIS prison By Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press Dhaos and the ongoing assault have raised fears that the Turkish offensive on Kurdish-held northeastern Syria may undermine the security of over two dozen facilities where 10,000 Islamic State militants are held. Continue reading
Oct 11 Turkey’s offensive in Syria raises fears of ISIS prison break By Bassem Mroue, Associated Press The Kurdish-led forces say they may not be able to spare enough forces to secure al-Hol, home to tens of thousands of IS-linked women and their children, and other detention camps holding more than 10,000 male militants. Continue reading
Oct 10 U.S. moves 2 British ISIS members from Syria By Deb Riechmann, Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press The two men killed a number of people including journalist James Foley and fellow Americans Steven Sotloff and Peter Kassig. Continue reading