Fwd: Weekly Update: Fight Against ISIS Ramps Up, U.S. Rules for Syrians Change

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Syria Deeply irAg'@newsdeepiy.org Date: February 3, 2017 at 21:45:06 GMT+4 To: Subject: Weekly Update: Fight Against ISIS Ramps Up, U.S. Rules for S),rians Change Reply-To: Syria Deeply <itAQ'®newsdeepJy.org>

This image is not a chart. It is an email update from Syria Deeply.

Key Information:

Source: Syria Deeply
Date: February 3, 2017
Subject: Weekly Update: Fight Against ISIS Ramps Up, U.S. Rules for Syrians Change
Content Focus: Important updates on the war in Syria.
Navigation Links: The Basics, The Government, ISIS, The Opposition, Global Players.
Title: WEEKLY UPDATE

EFTA00690604

This image is a blank white canvas with a small black square in the top left corner, resembling a placeholder or a missing image.

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the weekly Syria Deeply newsletter. We've rounded up the most important stories and developments about Syria and the Syrians in order to bring you valuable news and analysis. But first, here is a brief overview of what happened this week:

The Syrian army, Turkey and the United States-led coalition continued their separate offensives against the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) group in northern Syria. The Syrian army plans to move on militants in the northern Aleppo countryside. In recent weeks, they advanced to within 4 miles (6km) of the ISIS-controlled city of al-Bab, where Turkish military and Ankara-backed Syrian rebels are also fighting militants.

The Syrian Defence Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces, are advancing on ISIS's de facto capital, Raqqa. As they get closer to encircling the city, the SDF is also planning the next phase of the operation in other ISIS-controlled areas such as neighboring Deir Ezzor province to the south. The U.S. is assisting the operation with airstrikes, which reportedly destroyed a pipeline near

EFTA00690605

Raqqa, cutting off the water supply to the militant stronghold, and by providing supplies. An SDF spokesman said on Tuesday that the coalition provided them with armored vehicles for the first time.

In Idlib, infighting between rebel groups reached a tipping point over the weekend, when several Syrian Islamist armed groups announced a merger with the former al- Qaida affiliate in Syria, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS). The new alliance, named the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Liberation of the Levant Committee), is now fighting against Ahrar al-Sham, a powerful rebel group on the ground.

As fighting continues on the ground in Syria, the United States dealt a devastating blow this week to those trying to escape the conflict. Syrian nationals are now banned from entering the United States, after U.S. president Donald Trump signed an executive order barring the entry of nationals from seven countries in the region for 90 days. The order also suspends the entry of all refugees for 120 days, but Syrian refugees are banned indefinitely.

We will be keeping a close eye on diplomatic developments next week as Iran, Russia and Turkey are set to meet for the second round of peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Tuesday. They will discuss how the cease-fire in Syria is being implemented, Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said in a statement. The talks will be followed by the next round of M. -sponsored Syria peace talks in Geneva, which has been scheduled for February 20, after being briefly postponed last week.

After Trump Order, Syrian Family Endures Anguish of Changing Rules

Following Trump's executive order barring Syrians indefinitely from the U.S., Tania Karas reports on how its chaotic implementation hit one Syrian family who were already in transit as the order was inked.

EFTA00690606

This image is not a chart. It is a family photo.

The image depicts Hanan (8), Lian (5), and their mother Razan. They were scheduled to be reunited with their father, Fadi Kassar, in the U.S. after legally qualifying for family reunification. However, Trump's ban prevented their entry.

Hanan, 8, and Lian, 5, were meant to be reunited with their father, Fadi Kassar, last Saturday, after years of a meticulous procedure that legally qualified them for family reunification. But Trump's ban barred them and their mother, Razan, from entering the U.S. Family Photo

Afrin: Kurdish Town Isolated by Siege,
Geography

The predominantly Kurdish district of Afrin in northwestern Syria has been under near-continuous siege for four years but remained relatively calm, attracting hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Now, it is under threat from Turkish military operations in Syria.

EFTA00690607

The image shows rebel fighters of the Syrian Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) paying respects at a funeral ceremony.
Location: Afrin
Date: August 2013
Source: AFP/STR

Rebel fighters of the Syrian Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) pay their respects during a funeral ceremony in the village ofAfrin, August, 2013. AFP/STR

Trump Order on Refugees Is `Amateur Hour':
Konyndyk

The whirlwind of executive orders from the new administration risks alienating the bureaucrats needed to implement them. Former USAID senior official Jeremy Konyndyk says U.S. government bureaucracy is now entering uncharted territory.

EFTA00690608

The image provided is a blank white canvas with a small triangular marker in the top-left corner. There is no chart or discernible information to extract.

Jeremy Konyndyk

Additional Reading:

• Analysis: Russia Plans Syria Name Change in Draft Constitution

Top image: Protesters take part in a rally to oppose President Donald Trump's executive orders. AP/Elaine Thompson

For new reporting and analysis every weekday, visit www.newsdeeply.com/syria. You can reach our team with any comments or suggestions at info@newsdeeply.org.

Bec Foll
ome A ow Us
Con

EFTA00690609

Our mailing address is:
News Deeply
246 5th Avenue
Suite 327
New York. NY 10001

Add us to your address book

unsubscnbe from this list update subscription preferences

EFTA00690610