IntelBrief: The Fog of War Envelopes Syria

Bottom Line Up Front

• The U.S. shootdown of a Turkish armed drone in northeastern Syria demonstrates the potential for unintended conflict when so many actors are operating militarily in one space.
• Türkiye and the United States continue to differ on the prominent role that Kurds play in the U.S.-led effort to suppress Islamic State forces in both Syria and Iraq.
• Russia’s continued struggles with its faltering war in Ukraine are creating space for external actors to pursue their separate agendas in Syria.
• A lethal armed drone strike on a Syrian military academy illustrates that the Assad regime, contrary to its pronouncements, has not pacified the country or set the stage for reconstruction.