Without leadership, Washington's options are limited in the chaos of the civil war's end game.
The Syrian civil war may have entered its endgame, but its final stages will be messy and protracted as key stakeholders attempt to shape Syria's end state in their interests. The winding down of the U.S.-led campaign against ISIS has re-exposed all of the latent fault lines in Syria, provoking new conflicts. Recent hostilities between Israel and Syria and Iran are only the latest and most dangerous manifestation of this perilous phase, while U.S. relations with Turkey over Syria's fracture future are now at a “crisis point,” according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week.
What can the Trump administration do? The options amidst this chaos are limited, but continued U.S. engagement will be essential.
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