Airlift of Kurdish forces in Syria shows growing U.S. involvement
On Wednesday, the Pentagon disclosed that Marine pilots airlifted scores of Syrian partner forces to the front lines, kicking off an offensive designed to capture a strategic crossroad along the Euphrates River. It was the first such U.S. assistance to the Arab and Kurdish fighters comprising the Syrian Democratic Forces. In a support role, the U.S. also fired artillery and flew Apache attack helicopters for the first time in Syria. U.S. troops haven’t engaged in ground combat, but the new offensive suggests the Trump administration is taking an increasingly aggressive approach as it plans an assault on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa. But the move also highlighted an unresolved dispute with Turkey over aiding Kurdish fighters. Turkey refused to join the U.S.-led offensive if Kurds were involved. Turkey has blamed the ethnic group for a series of attacks in its country.