The Latest In Syria: Russia's Role, Trump's Sanctions And More

Editor's note: Due to a scheduling issue, this segment did not air on Oct. 16, 2019 as planned.

We have the latest on Turkey’s offensive in northern Syria, from Russia's deployment of troops to President Trump's sanction threats.

Charlie D'Agata, CBS News foreign correspondent who has been reporting from Syria. (@charliecbs)

New York Times: "Russia Says Its Troops Are Patrolling Between Turkish and Syrian Forces" — "Russia said on Tuesday that its military units were patrolling territory in northern Syria between Syrian and Turkish forces after the American withdrawal from the area, underscoring the sudden loss of United States influence in the area and illustrating how the power balance in the region has shifted rapidly in the past week.

"The announcement that Russian forces were now patrolling an area where the United States had until Monday maintained two military bases appeared to signal that Moscow was moving to fill a security void left by the withdrawal of both the American military and its partners in an international counterterrorism mission.

"Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a Russian-speaking man filming himself walking around a recently evacuated United States military base in northern Syria.

"The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its military police, which had already established a presence in other parts of Syria, were patrolling 'the northwestern borders of Manbij district along the line of contact of the Syrian Arab Republic military and the Turkish military.' "

NPR: "U.S. Imposes Sanctions On Turkey For Invasion Of Syria" — "Days after appearing to acquiesce to a Turkish invasion of northern Syria aimed at routing Washington's Kurdish allies, the White House is officially reversing course, calling instead for a cease-fire, imposing economic sanctions and dispatching Vice President Pence to Ankara.

"In an executive order issued Monday, President Trump declared that Turkey's offensive 'undermines the campaign to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, endangers civilians, and further threatens to undermine the peace, security, and stability in the region ...'

"The order halts a $100 billion trade deal being hammered out between Ankara and Washington, raises tariffs on Turkish steel to 50% and imposes sanctions on senior Turkish officials and the country's defense and energy ministries."

Associated Press: "Money, hatred for the Kurds drives Turkey’s Syrian fighters" — "The Syrian fighters vowed to kill 'pigs' and 'infidels,' paraded their Kurdish captives in front of cameras and, in one graphic video, fired several rounds into a man lying on the side of a highway with his hands bound behind his back.

"They are part of the self-styled Syrian National Army, the shock troops in Turkey’s offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish forces who were abandoned last week after President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of American troops from northern Syria.

"The Syrian fighters, trained and funded by Turkey, present themselves as heirs to the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad. But while they include some Islamic extremists and past members of some Syrian rebel factions, many are Arab and Turkmen fighters from northern and eastern Syria who have an ax to grind against the Kurds and a reputation for violence and looting."