
The New York Times (Oct 31, 2019 morning brief)
The U.S. military withdrawal and Turkey’s subsequent incursion into northeastern Syria have reordered the country, helping four American adversaries in particular:
■ President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who has expanded his control.
■ Iran, which could gain a supply route to Hezbollah, its proxy in Lebanon.
■ Russia, which has cemented its foothold in Syria.
■ The Islamic State, which has an opening to regroup.
Our animated map shows the changing state of play.
Related: The past three weeks have also reshaped diplomatic efforts to end Syria’s eight-year civil war. New peace talks led by the United Nations are to start on Thursday in Geneva.