AKCAKALE, Turkey — Angry over the U.S. withdrawal, residents of a Kurdish-dominated Syrian city hurled potatoes at departing American military vehicles as they drove by on Monday. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said U.S. troops will stay in eastern Syria to protect Kurdish-held oil fields for at least the coming weeks and he...
Syria Kurds Accuse Turkey of Violating Cease-Fire
CEYLANPINAR, Turkey — The Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria accused Turkey on Friday of violating a U.S.-brokered cease-fire that went into effect overnight, as fighters from both sides clashed in and around a border town that has been one of the fiercest fronts in the Turkish invasion. The town of Ras al-Ayn...
Pence Meets with Erdogan, Seeking Syria Border Cease-Fire
ANKARA, Turkey — A senior U.S. delegation led by Vice President Mike Pence pursued an uphill mission Thursday to persuade Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call for a cease-fire in his fight with Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Pence and Erdogan wore dour expressions as they shook hands before...
US Troops Scramble for the Exits in Syria
WASHINGTON — U.S. troops scrambled for Syria's exits Monday while the Trump administration threatened economic penalties on Turkey for an invasion that opened the door to a resurgence of the Islamic State group -- the fighters who were the reason U.S. forces came in the first place. The Turks began...
EU Nations Commit to Arms Export Ban Against Turkey
LUXEMBOURG — European Union nations vented outrage Monday at Turkey's military offensive in northern Syria against the Kurds and joined France and Germany in banning arms sales to Ankara, a rare move against a NATO ally for many of them. Many EU foreign ministers were looking beyond a strong statement...
As Trump Abandons Kurds, Israel Worries How Dependable He Is
JERUSALEM — For the past three years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bet heavily on President Donald Trump and been rewarded with major diplomatic gains in exchange for his warm embrace of the U.S. leader. But the U.S. pullback from northeastern Syria, essentially abandoning its Kurdish allies, has called that strategy —...
Rep. Costa Blasts Trump's Decision to Abandon Kurds
Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno said Monday morning that President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria "is disgraceful and deeply harmful to our national security." Said Costa in a news release: “Not only does this open the door to ISIS regrouping and resuming its horrendous acts...
Trump's Syria Withdrawal Announcement Draws GOP Condemnation
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's sudden decision to pull back U.S. troops from northern Syria drew quick, strong criticism Monday from some of his closest allies in Congress. It was condemned, too, by Kurdish fighters who would be abandoned to face a likely Turkish assault after fighting alongside Americans for...
Sen Graham: Saudi Prince Must be "Dealt With" in Khashoggi Killing
ANKARA, Turkey — Relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia cannot move forward until Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is "dealt with," Senator Lindsey Graham said Saturday. Salman has been accused by some of complicity in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in October. Graham...
Mattis Exiting as Pentagon Chief After Clashes With Trump
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is stepping down from his post, President Donald Trump announced Thursday, after the retired Marine general clashed with the president over a troop drawdown in Syria and Trump's go-it-alone stance in world affairs. Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in Trump's administration,...