Subject: Morning Brief: U.S. Considers Expanding Airstrikes in Syria
From: "Foreign Policy" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2014 09:16:28 -0500 (EST)

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TOP NEWS

U.S. Considers Expanding Airstrikes in Syria

U.S. Considers Expanding Airstrikes in Syria

 <p>  <b>Syria:</b> The United  States is considering <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjKF8PoQHbc801WAcfcc style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">expanding  its air campaign</a> against Islamist militants in Syria to target forces from  the al Qaeda-linked group Jabhat al-Nusra as they close on a critical border  crossing with Turkey. The group routed forces from the Free Syrian Army (FSA)  from strongholds in Idlib province over the weekend, and is now reportedly  moving toward one of the two openings where the FSA receives military and  humanitarian assistance from the United States and other allies.   </p><br><p>  The U.S. bombing campaign has thus far been focused on the  Islamic State forces in the northern part of the country. Though the government  of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has not strongly contested the bombing --  and has not deployed the country's air defenses -- it is unclear whether an  expansion into Idlib province, which is west of Aleppo, would draw more forceful protests.  The consideration of expanded strikes also underscores tensions about what role  the United States is choosing to play in Syria: Its stated goal is the removal  of Assad, but the FSA, despite recent clashes, considers Jabhat al-Nusra to be  an ally against Assad, and U.S. airstrikes may inadvertently <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXYAbe76 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">be  helping</a> the Syrian regime.  </p><br><p>  Jabhat al-Nusra was struck in the opening volley of U.S.  airstrikes in Syria in late September, but has not been targeted since.  </p><br><p>  <b>Ebola: </b>Officials  in Liberia are beginning to reassess the scale of the response needed to fight  the Ebola crisis as the rate of new infections has <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjKGsPoQHbc801bAfe63 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">sharply  declined</a> in recent weeks. The apparent turnaround has occurred before even  one of the 17 promised U.S. Ebola facilities opened. The facilities will still  be built, but many will be scaled down from the 100 beds initially promised,  though with the ability to expand if the need arises.  </p><br><p>  Even as the outbreak recedes, at least momentarily, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjKG8PoQHbc801cAfa86 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">restrictions  and possible consequences</a> back home have made U.S. health workers more hesitant  of coming to help.  </p><br> 
 
  Americas  

<ul><p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   As U.S. voters head to the polls, candidates are using   everything from the specter of militants crossing the border to claiming their   opponent is responsible for the Ebola outbreak to <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXZAb95c style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">bolster   turnout</a>.   </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Police <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXaA3b86 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">arrested</a> the   mayor of the Mexican town of Iguala, where 43 students disappeared during   protests in September.   </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Venezuela will <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXbAfc71 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">raise its minimum   wage</a> by 15 percent to account for rampant inflation. This will be the third   hike this year.   </p><br>  </ul>     
  Middle East  

<ul><p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   The Obama administration cut off funding for the organization   dedicated to <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjKEsPoQHbc801DAa917 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">investigating   war crimes</a> committed by the Syrian government.   </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Children captured by the Islamic State faced <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXcA1520 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">"torture   and abuse,"</a> according to Human Rights Watch.   </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Plans by an Israeli committee to build another 500   apartments in the Ramat Schlomo housing development in East Jerusalem were <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXdAa2e8 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">condemned</a>   by the Obama administration.    </p><br>  </ul>     
  Asia  

<ul><p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Two officials in China's Guangdong province were arrested   after paying local grave robbers to <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXeA69a8 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">steal   bodies</a> so they could meet quotas for cremations in their districts.    </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Thailand's government gave away some <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXfA6f40 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">2,700 hundred assault rifles</a>   in the country's south to volunteers offering to fight insurgents over the past   two months.   </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   The founder of the file-sharing site the Pirate Bay was <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXgAc613 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">arrested</a> in Thailand. A   Swedish court convicted him in 2009.   </p><br>  </ul>     
  Africa  

<ul><p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   An <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXhA8bf8 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">inquiry</a>   into the shooting of demonstrators who were protesting quarantines in Monrovia   found that Liberian soldiers fired with "complete disregard for human life."   </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   The African Union said that Burkina Faso's military has <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXiAc862 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">two weeks</a> to hand   power over to a civilian ruler.   </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXjA3291 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Defections   have risen</a> as the power of the Islamist militant group al Shabab declines   in Somalia.   </p><br>  </ul>     
  Europe  

<ul><p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Ukrainian separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko was <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXkA7e54 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">sworn   in</a> as head of the country's secessionist east. Ukraine's president said the   vote <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXlA4a48 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">jeopardized</a>   "the entire peace process."   </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   European Union authorities <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjefMPoyIiBFcXmAfbd3 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">sharply   revised</a> growth forecasts as member states offered weaker economic   performances than expected.   </p><br>   <p> &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;   Russia may play a <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71yibn.1aac/VFjKGcPoQHbc801ZA64f7 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">key   role</a> in a possible Iran deal after a new breakthrough. In the proposed   deal, Russia would convert much of Iran's uranium stockpile to specialized fuel   rods.   </p><br>  </ul>     
- By Thomas Stackpole 

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