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"U.S. officials and representatives of the Afghan Taliban have begun discussing ways to revive a peace process after talks fell apart last month, according to people familiar with the discussions."

"The Secretary of Defense is carrying out orders from President Donald Trump to move US forces in Syria to move south of Turkey’s attacks against Kurds, but not leave that conflict-wracked country."

"For the nearly 200 candidates scrambling through Hoffman Forest at Camp Mackall, the struggle to become a Green Beret is real. But Army commanders are making sweeping changes to shorten and revamp the course. The aim is to meet evolving national security threats and to shift from a culture that weeds out struggling soldiers at every point to one that trains them to do better."

"President Trump has ordered a withdrawal of virtually all U.S. forces from northern Syria in the face of a Turkish military offensive targeting Kurdish fighters in the region, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said Sunday, after days of assurances from the Pentagon that the United States was not “abandoning” its partners in the campaign against the Islamic State."

"American troops and former U.S. officials believe a Turkish artillery strike on Friday that landed about 300 meters from a U.S. commando outpost near the Syrian city of Kobani was done deliberately."

"Turkish troops move into a Kurdish-held Syrian town on Saturday, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes as Turkey pursued an invasion of northeastern Syria with heavy artillery and aerial bombardments despite global condemnation and fresh sanction threats from the Trump administration."

"Kurds under attack from Turkey in northern Syria say they will no longer prioritise guarding Islamic State detainees if the offensive continues."

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who resigned over disagreements with President Donald Trump, has warned that the Islamic State (IS) extremist group could “resurge” in the wake of Trump’s decision to pull troops out of northeast Syria.

"Turkey's military said it captured a key Syrian border town under heavy bombardment Saturday in its most significant gain since an offensive against Kurdish fighters began four days ago, with no sign of relenting despite mounting international criticism."

"U.S. forces in Syria are still conducting ground and air patrols in Syria, according to a coalition U.S. military official. The patrols continue despite reports of a temporary pause in anti-ISIS operations in the country as Turkish forces continue to advance against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria."

Via 'Air Force Times' - "Africa is a vast area where massive opportunity exists. It is a place of robust resources, rare minerals, reserves of oil and the potential for huge gains. Its potential impact can be great and return on investment even greater. With the right resources and development, it can lead to more secure futures, but may be overlooked due to competing investment priorities."

"The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Saturday urged its U.S. allies to assume their 'moral obligations' to protect them from a cross-border Turkish offensive, now in its fourth day."

"Turkey’s military incursion into northern Syria this week triggered a new rift between Ankara and its NATO allies, highlighting a growing divergence on security concerns and complicating efforts to thwart an increasingly assertive Russia."

The World Food Program says more than 100,000 people have been displaced so far by the Turkish invasion of northern Syria. The agency said those displaced have come from the towns of Ras al-Ayn and Tal Abyad.

"Turkey claimed its forces had seized control of the Syrian border town of Ras al Ain town on Saturday, as the country's offensive against a Kurdish militia in the region entered its fourth day."

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is loading "very powerful" sanctions to impose on Turkey for its attacks on Syrian territory, but it is not yet pulling the trigger." If Turkey does something they shouldn't be doing we will put on sanctions the likes of which very few countries have ever seen before," the president told reporters Friday. "We don't want them killing a lot of people."

U.S. troops at a military outpost in northeast Syria came under artillery fire from Turkish positions, as Ankara’s forces pressed on with their offensive against U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish fighters.

The United States is finding itself bogged down in northeastern Syria, caught in the middle of an increasingly dangerous fight between two key allies — Turkey and the Syrian Kurds — with neither side giving any sign it will back down. Further complicating matters, U.S. military and intelligence officials say they see indications that the Islamic State terror group, also known as ISIS or Daesh, is finding ways to take advantage of the chaos.

"As Turkey continues an incursion into Syria targeting Kurdish forces backed by the U.S., the Pentagon has given the Turkish military detailed coordinates of where American forces are, and a stark warning: American personnel in Syria have the right to defend themselves, even against a longstanding NATO ally."

"Some 100,000 people have fled their homes in north Syria, the UN reports, as Turkey presses on with its cross-border offensive on Kurdish-held areas."

"A new anti-missile system and fighter jets are also being sent, officials say."

"Ankara has divided its operation into three phases. In the first phase, it will establish three to four battalion-size military bases on high ground covering some 5-8 kilometers (3-4 miles) of road parallel to the border. As 155 mm Turkish artillery howitzers and multiple rocket launchers will provide indirect fire support for the advancing Turkish troops, there's no need for close air support — making the first phase relatively simple."

Thousands of people have fled their homes and dozens have been killed as Turkey stepped up its assault on Syrian Kurdish forces and momentum built in the U.S. Congress to impose sanctions on Ankara for its actions in northeast Syria.

U.S. special forces in Syria are on alert, worried Turkey’s military campaign against the Kurds in northeastern Syria will give fighters loyal to the Islamic State terror group the chance they need to ignite a more intense and deadly insurgency.

U.S. lawmakers of both political parties on Wednesday continued to savage President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from northeastern Syria, where U.S.-allied Kurds are under attack from Turkey.