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The Security Briefing: Pentagon tries to reason with Turkey

In this weekly newsletter, Pentagon Correspondent Jared Szuba rounds up the biggest security stories from the region.
Fighters affiliated with the third corps of the Turkish-backed "Syrian National Army" man a turret at a position near Azaz in the rebel-held north of the Aleppo province, opposite the town of Menagh (Minaq) along the frontlines with areas under control by Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on November 29, 2022.

The Pentagon is taking a stand against Turkey’s plans to launch another assault against the Kurdish militias that form the bulk of the US-backed force fighting the Islamic State in Syria.

That’s the message Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivered to his counterpart Hulusi Akar in a phone call on Wednesday, at least. But Ankara is standing firm, and it’s looking less likely as each day passes that Washington has a substantive plan to paper over the crisis.

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