Mattis doing some things in Syria
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...to-have-been-a-blocking-move?xid=twittershare
".... So basically America's flag-waving increase in visibility around Manbij, as well as their upgrade in armor that has rumbled its way all around the town and its nearby villages, seems to serve a couple purposes. First off, it tells Turkish, Syrian and Russian forces that Americans are operating openly in the strategically located city and by traveling all around its outskirts in a blazon manner, literally acting as bait, they have shown that ISIS has been neutralized in the area. As such, any attack on Kurdish or US forces by Turkish, Syrian or Russian-backed forces could not be "confused" for one against ISIS. As such, there is no excuse for Russian or Syrian jets to bomb locations in or around the city, and no reason for Syrian forces to be there at all at this time. The operation also serves as a warning to Turkey in particular, that any move against the town could not only endanger US forces, but it would see two NATO allies pitted against one another...."