Behind the Headlines: Turkey Launches Military Operation Against Syrian Kurdish 'Rebels'

Turkey's General Staff today declared the launch of 'Operation Olive Branch', with up to 72 Turkish F-16 jets and multiple heavy artillery units targeting Syrian-Kurdish forces in the northwestern enclave of Afrin. Turkish media claims that Ankara had informed Damascus about the offensive "in writing," but Damascus says it received no such warning and has demanded that Turkish forces cease fire. The Russian government, meanwhile, has blamed the Americans for this dangerous escalation, citing...