Oct 08 Trump wants out of ‘endless war,’ but pulling troops from northeast Syria could bring bloodshed By Yasmeen Alamiri Though the president justified his decision by saying he will not keep the U.S. committed to an “endless war” in the Middle East, the alternative may open the door to other forces, that will not work in the U.S. or… Continue reading
Oct 08 Turkey says it won’t bow to U.S. pressure over Syrian Kurds By Bassem Mroue, Suzan Fraser, Associated Press Turkish leaders said they were intent on combatting Syrian Kurdish fighters across its border in Syria after the U.S. decided to remove its troops from the region. Continue reading
Oct 07 Watch 4:25 Trump’s abrupt military departure from Syria draws fierce criticism A day after the White House announced that President Trump was withdrawing all U.S. forces on the Syrian-Turkish border, U.S. bases there are deserted. Trump's abrupt decision now potentially puts the Kurdish-led, American-supported Syrian Democratic Forces directly in harm's way… Continue watching
Oct 07 As impeachment looms, GOP revolts against Trump on Syria By Steve Peoples, Associated Press A chief Trump loyalist in Congress called the move "unnerving to the core." An influential figure in conservative media condemned it as "a disaster." And Trump's former top NATO envoy said it was "a big mistake" that would threaten the… Continue reading
Oct 07 McConnell splits with Trump on Syria pullout By Associated Press Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is opposing President Donald Trump's plan to pull U.S. troops from northern Syria, a rare policy split between the Senate's top Republican and Trump. Continue reading
Oct 07 U.S. troops begin pulling out of Syria, leaving Kurds without support By Bassem Mroue, Suzan Fraser, Associated Press Turkey's leader has threatened for months to launch a military operation against Syria Kurdish forces, who he views as terrorists. Continue reading
Oct 07 U.S. to step aside in Syria, clearing path for Turkish assault on Kurds By Zeke Miller, Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press The U.S. move essentially abandons Kurdish fighters who fought alongside American forces in the yearslong battle to defeat Islamic State militants. Continue reading
May 11 Watch 9:58 Kurdish control in Syria threatened by U.S. troop withdrawal By Jane Ferguson After the Syrian revolution began in 2011, the Kurdish people formed their own semi-autonomous area in Syria called Rojava. Their alliance with the U.S. has kept Syrian and Turkish forces out of the region and bolstered territorial gains. But questions… Continue watching
Apr 03 Watch 12:34 Turkish foreign minister slams U.S. for having ‘no clear strategy’ on Syria By Ali Rogin Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu slammed the United States’ Syria strategy and Middle East peace plan, saying Wednesday that one was underdeveloped and the other might not exist. “It seems that there is no clear… Continue watching
Mar 22 Watch 5:16 Why the caliphate’s fall is ‘a milestone’ but not the end for ISIS After nearly five years of fighting in Iraq and Syria, the Trump administration signaled Friday that ISIS no longer controls any territory in Iraq or Syria. But despite a brutal bombardment, the final holdouts in Baghouz refuse to surrender. Special… Continue watching