2 November 2019

How the New Syria Took Shape

Russia, Turkey and Bashar al-Assad carved up northern Syria as the Americans retreated


In just a few weeks, the American withdrawal from northern Syria dramatically reordered power in the country after eight years of civil war. Here’s how Syria looked three weeks ago: American-backed Kurds controlled the northeast, while the Syrian government controlled most of the rest.

Turkish forces were already in northwest Syria, but Turkey had long wanted to establish a roughly 20-mile-deep buffer along the whole border. It sees the Kurdish-led forces there as terrorists.

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