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US military halts patrols against Islamic State in Syria
Turkish threats of a ground invasion have stymied the missions with Kurdish forces.
By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press
Pence makes surprise Iraq trip to reassure Kurds, greet troops
Accompanied by his wife, Karen, Pence greeted U.S. troops ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, serving turkey and accompaniments to hundreds of service members at two locations.
By Zeke Miller, The Associated Press
Strained US-Turkey ties as Trump and Erdogan hold meeting
President Donald Trump and Turkey’s leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met Wednesday as relations between the NATO allies have fallen to their lowest point in decades, with Turkey drifting closer to Russia and facing a Washington backlash over its military offensive against Kurds in Syria.
American troops at Syria base say they’ll keep pressure on ISIS
At a base in eastern Syria, a senior U.S. coalition commander said Monday that American troops who remain in Syria are redeploying to bases, including in some new locations, and working with the Kurdish-led forces to keep up the pressure on the Islamic State militants and prevent the extremists from resurging or breaking out of prisons.
For east Syria, American troops are about much more than oil
As U.S. troops beef up in eastern Syria to protect oil fields, residents hope their mission will bring stability and prosperity to the remote and resource-rich region — and keep the Syrian government out.
Senior US envoy in Syria highly critical of American troop withdrawal
A senior American diplomat has written a highly critical assessment of the Trump administration’s abrupt withdrawal of troops from northeast Syria last month, a decision that paved the way for an attack on U.S.-allied forces in the area, officials said Thursday.
Turkey says Kurdish fighters still remain in safe zone near Syrian border
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Tuesday for Russia and the United States to keep to their promises and ensure that Syrian Kurdish fighters pull out of a so-called safe zone along Syria’s northern border with Turkey.
Trump OKs wider Syria oil mission, raising legal questions
President Donald Trump has approved an expanded military mission to secure an expanse of oil fields across eastern Syria, raising a number of difficult legal questions about whether U.S. troops can launch strikes against Syrian, Russian or other forces if they threaten the oil, U.S. officials said.
By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press
Bipartisan House OKs bill hitting Turkey for Syria incursion
A bipartisan bill punishing Turkey for its invasion of northern Syria and illustrating both parties’ dismay with President Donald Trump’s retreat from the region sailed easily through the House on Tuesday.
Russia says Syrian Kurds complete withdrawal from Turkish border
Russia’s defense minister said Tuesday that Syrian Kurdish fighters have completed their withdrawal from areas along the Syrian border, in line with a recent Russia-Turkey deal. Sergei Shoigu said Russian and Syrian troops have moved into the border zone following the Kurdish withdrawal.
American commando raid to kill al-Baghdadi was launched from al-Asad Air Base, rehearsals conducted in Erbil
The American commando raid that bagged Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was launched from the sprawling al-Asad airbase in Anbar province Iraq, according to a source on the ground with direct knowledge of the operation.
By Shawn Snow and Howard Altman