Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War

The United States and Turkey have agreed "in principle" to give air support to some forces from Syria's mainstream opposition, Turkey's foreign minister said, in what if confirmed could mark an expansion of U.S. involvement in the conflict. 

Damascus will be ISIS’ next target, after half of Syria has been already taken over by the jihadist terror band.

The shocking display of barbarous intent in destroying ancient ruins across Iraqi and Syria shows that Palmyra, only recently taken, will suffer the same fate.

Syria needs a political change that will leave current leader Bashar al-Assad out, according to Daniel Rubinstein, the United States' special envoy for Syria. 

Russia is ready to provide Iraq with weapons, according to the Russian Foreign Minister, at the same time while Baghdad is ready to stop the ruthless advance of ISIS jihadists.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iraqi counterpart, will be meeting soon to speak on the efforts to stop the oncoming jihadist wave.

In a recent act of heroism, the Turkish military headquarters proudly announced that its howitzers (with 40 km firing range) shelled a Syrian missile battery (180 km away). 

We all have been bombarded by news and allegations about Syria this week. Some were about the radically changing dynamics within Syria, while others related to shifting regional alliances and U.S. policy.

Let?s go through them one by one.

First of all: Is Turkey sending troops to Syria?

Turkey and Saudi Arabia have long been in cooperation on the issue of Syrian crisis, but there are no new elements regarding that effort, spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Tanju Bilgiç said May 8, elaborating on recent media reports claiming a new deal between the two countries.

US Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter, announced that US troops have begun training a small force of Syrian fighters in order to combat ISIS.

Carter stated that the second company of Syrian fighters will begin training soon.  The company is comprised of 90 people.

The U.S. military?s top-ranking officer says contingency plans have been drawn up for a safe zone in consultation with Turkey, while a senior Pentagon official has told Hürriyet that this is conditional on Turkey?s steps on plans to train Syrian rebels, which remains a source of tension between the two countries.

Turkish officials are confirming that their country has forged an alliance with Saudi Arabia to help rebels fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
                   
The pact, which provides rebels logistical and financial support, is a concern for a U.S. administration wary of empowering radical Islamist groups in Syria.