Syria panel rushes to offer Trump options before clock runs out

A bipartisan panel tasked with offering the Donald Trump administration a path forward in Syria is already behind schedule as it prepares for its initial meeting Thursday.

The Syria Study Group is charged with bringing clarity to the state of play in the war-torn country as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies inch toward final victory in the 8-year-old war while the Pentagon scurries to convince allies to keep boots on the ground. The group was created after Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., tucked a provision authorizing the panel into a must-pass aviation bill in October.