Syrian war: As neighbors seek border enclaves, a de facto partition?

(The Christian Science Monitor) The agreement between the United States and Turkey to establish some form of protected zone in northern Syria that is free of the self-described Islamic State heralds a potential shift in Syria’s civil war.

While the details of how the countries will enforce the zone remain unclear, its implementation coincides with Syria’s acknowledgement that a long-heralded contraction of territory under its control is necessary.

One country closely watching developments in northern Syria is Jordan, which, like Turkey, has taken in large numbers of Syrian refugees and watched with concern as extremist factions have rolled back Syrian army control of the country. For months Jordan has been mulling the establishment of its own buffer zone in southern Syria, according to Jordanian officials, regional analysts, and foreign diplomats.