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Pentagon dismisses Syria re-engagement amid Idlib showdown

The US administration shot down the idea that it will send troops back into Syria amid assurances from the secretary of state that the United States is "working" with Turkey on the "complicated" situation.
U.S. House Armed Services Committee receives testimony from Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley on Pentagon's fiscal year 2021 budget request in Washington, U.S., February 26, 2020. REUTERS/Amanda Voisard. - RC2H8F921049

The Donald Trump administration is not considering reengaging militarily in the Syrian civil war amid stepped-up fighting in Idlib province, Defense Secretary Mark Esper told lawmakers today.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s efforts to reconsolidate the area that the State Department says has led more than a million people to take off for the Turkish border has led to American and United Nations calls for a cease-fire.

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