President Donald Trump said Sunday he cloaked the raid to kill Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in secrecy, telling only his closest advisers, two Republican lawmakers and no opposition Democrats in advance, for fear of leaks about the operation. Trump told reporters at the White House that Russia was given a heads-up that a […]
From making so-called side deals with Ukraine to pulling U.S. forces from northeastern Syria, U.S. President Donald Trump has gone his own way when it comes to conducting U.S. foreign policy. But the Syria decision has sparked widespread opposition in Washington and in the case of Ukraine, critics say Trump sidestepped career U.S. diplomats to […]
U.S Defense Secretary Mark Esper says Turkey’s offensive against Kurds in northeastern Syria was “unwarranted” and Ankara is “heading in the wrong direction” after its agreement with Russia to jointly patrol a “safe zone” in the region. “Turkey put us in a very terrible situation,” Esper said at the German Marshall Fund ahead of a […]
Turkey’s incursion into northeastern Syria appears to be giving Islamic State new life, but U.S. counterterrorism officials caution the terror group’s next moves are far from certain. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, warn Islamic State is well-versed in using regional conflicts to its advantage, having done so in Iraq in 2005-2006, and […]