Iraq Says It’s Cutting an Oil Deal With Kurds
Iraq’s government has agreed “in principle” on a long-anticipated oil-sharing deal with the northern Kurdish region, officials said Monday.
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Pence Works to Reassure Kurdish Allies in Surprise Iraq Trip
Vice President Mike Pence worked to reassure the United States’ Kurdish allies in an unannounced trip to Iraq on Saturday, the highest-level American trip since President Donald Trump ordered a pullback of U.S. forces in Syria two months ago.
Read moreTrump and Erdogan Meet at Stressful Moment for World
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Donald Trump will meet as relations between the two NATO allies are at their lowest point in decades, with Turkey turning toward Russia on security issues and Ankara facing a Washington backlash over attacks on Kurdish civilians during its invasion of Syria.
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Senior US Envoy in Syria Blasts Troop Withdrawal
A senior U.S. diplomat has written a highly critical assessment of the Trump administration’s abrupt withdrawal of troops from northeast Syria, a decision that paved the way for an attack on U.S.-allied forces in the area, officials said Thursday.
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Turkey and Russia Patrol Syrian Border Together
Turkey and Russia launched joint patrols Friday in northeastern Syria, under a deal that halted a Turkish offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters who were forced to withdraw from the border area after Ankara’s invasion.
Read moreUS Forces Still Patrolling Syrian Border
U.S. military forces patrolled part of Syria’s border with Turkey on Thursday in the first such move since Washington withdrew troops from the area this month.
Read moreKurdish Activist Wins Free Speech Case Against Turkey
The European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday that Turkey violated the rights of a Kurdish activist by not giving her a fair trial after her speech-related arrest.
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Terror Boss Dead, but the Job Isn’t Over
After the dramatic killing of the Islamic State group’s leader, the Pentagon is increasing U.S. efforts to protect Syria’s oilfields from the extremist group and from Syria itself and its Russian ally. It’s a new high-stakes mission even as American troops are withdrawn from other parts of the country.
Read moreTurkey’s Erdogan Sues French Magazine Over ‘Eradicator’ Cover
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched legal proceedings against a French magazine which branded Turkey’s president “The Eradicator” after he sent troops into Syria to push back Kurdish forces, media reported Friday.
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After Abandoning Them, Trump Asks Kurds to Protect Oilfields
As Russian and Turkish leaders divvy up security roles in northeast Syria after the abrupt U.S. troop withdrawal, President Donald Trump has asked a Kurdish military leader to protect oilfields elsewhere in the war-torn country.
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Syria Says Turkish-Led Forces Attacked Its Troops
Turkish forces and their allies attacked Syrian government troops in northeastern Syria on Thursday, killing some of them, and also clashed with Kurdish-led fighters, the Syrian state news agency and a war monitoring group said.
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Kurdish Forces Retreat From Syria-Turkey Border
Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria left several positions along the long border with Turkey on Thursday, complying with a deal that sees Damascus, Ankara and Moscow carve up the Kurds’ now-defunct autonomous region.
Read moreKurdish Leader Warns Lawmakers of Genocide in Syria
The head of the Syrian Democratic Council has called on Congress to immediately impose sanctions on Turkey to halt what she sees as an impending genocide, just hours after President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire along the Syrian-Turkish border.
Read moreAs Russian Troops Move Into Syrian Borderland, Trump Claims Ceasefire Success
As Russian troops move into the Syrian borderland and shelling of old American bases continues, the president on Wednesday claimed that a “permanent” ceasefire allows him to lift sanctions against Turkey. He has been sailing against the tide of public opinion, with Americans opposed to the U.S. withdrawal from Northern Syria by a 2-1 margin.
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‘America Is Running Away’: Kurds Pelt Withdrawing Troops
The crowd hurled potatoes that thudded on the sides of the hulking U.S. armored vehicles. “What happened to Americans?” a man shouted in English at the sole U.S. soldier visible on the back of a vehicle. The soldier stared silently straight ahead, away from the show of fury.
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Erdogan, in Russia, Threatens to Resume Offensive
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday threatened to resume Turkey’s military offensive in Syria “with greater determination” unless the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters is completed under a U.S.-brokered deal, as he headed to talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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US Troops in Syria Heading to Iraq, not Home as Trump Claims
While President Donald Trump insists he’s bringing home Americans from “endless wars” in the Mideast, his Pentagon chief says all U.S. troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq and the U.S. military will continue operations against the Islamic State group.
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Erdogan Calls the West Supporters of Terrorism
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday lashed out at Western states, accusing them of “standing by terrorists” by failing to support Turkey’s onslaught against Syrian Kurdish fighters.
Read morePelosi in Jordan for Vital Discussions Amid Syria Crisis
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a group of American lawmakers on a surprise visit to Jordan to discuss “the deepening crisis” in Syria amid a shaky U.S.-brokered cease-fire.
Read moreTurkish-Backed Forces, Kurds Clash Despite Syria Cease-Fire
Turkish-backed Syrian fighters clashed with Kurdish-led forces in several parts of northeastern Syria on Saturday, with some crossing the border from Turkey to attack a village, a war monitor said. Both sides blamed each other for fighting that has rattled the U.S.-brokered cease-fire.
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