Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 14 February 2018

New US-Turkey tensions overshadow anti-IS unity meeting

the alarm over distractions But the proposed new as-
that threaten the gains of sistance to the Kurds, out-
the anti-IS coalition, Turk- lined Monday in the Trump
ish President Recep Tayyip administration's budget re-
Erdogan bashed the Unit- quest, clearly undermined
ed States for proposing to the calming effort.
send $550 million dollars in The White House is asking
new assistance to Syrian Congress for $300 million
opposition forces. Most, “to train, equip, sustain and
if not all, will go to Syrian enable” vetted Syrian op-
Kurds, counted on by the position groups to defeat
U.S. to defeat IS forces, but the Islamic State. It wants
seen by Turkey as terrorists $250 million for a border
in their own right. security force that would
Turkey has been attacking stem the flow of extremist
the Kurds in Syria for the fighters.
past three weeks, despite “If we are together in
U.S. calls for restraint. And NATO, the United States
Erdogan's angry comments has to abide by NATO rules
— including a warning that as much as Turkey,” Erdo-
Turkey's foes may feel "the gan said. “If a terror organi-
Ottoman slap," a reference zation is attacking your ally,
to the Ottoman Empire's as a NATO member you
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson prepares for a meeting of a U.S.-led coalition fighting against onetime might — set the have to stand against this.”
the Islamic State group in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. Members of the U.S.-led stage for contentious talks Erdogan also took aim
coalition group met Tuesday at Kuwait's Bayan Palace as American officials are pressing their
partners to refocus efforts, overcome rivalries and concentrate on the eradication from Iraq and to come when Tillerson visits at comments from a U.S.
Syria of the extremist group. Ankara later this week. commander who said the
(AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) U.S. officials already ex- United States and its part-
pected the Friday discus- ners in Syria would hit back
By MATTHEW LEE the latest expression of U.S. for nations fighting the Is- sions would be difficult and if attacked. “To those who
AP Diplomatic Writer support for Kurdish rebels lamic State to overcome ri- had sought to soothe Er- say, ‘If they hit us, we will re-
KUWAIT CITY (AP) — The in Syria enraged America's valries and concentrate on dogan's anger by stressing spond with force’, it is clear
Trump administration's ap- NATO ally, Turkey, and eradicating the extremist transparency in their sup- that they have never expe-
peal for unity fell on a criti- overshadowed Secretary group from the Middle East. port of the Kurds and com- rienced the Ottoman slap,”
cal deaf ear Tuesday as of State Rex Tillerson's plea While Tillerson sounded mitment to Turkey's security. Erdogan said. q

US warns EU against defense market protectionism

By LORNE COOK that we have." small, expeditionary forces rity and coping with hybrid counterparts in Brussels.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The United EU leaders — 22 of whose that can rapidly be de- warfare and cyberthreats. A senior Pentagon official
States is warning the Eu- nations are also members ployed to crisis hotspots. They have constantly un- also said that Washington
ropean Union not to use of the U.S.-led NATO alli- Hutchison called for a derlined that their aim is to is concerned that EU de-
its deepened military co- ance — agreed last year transparent contract bid- complement, rather than fense cooperation might
operation as an excuse to to jointly develop or pur- ding process. compete with, each other. eventually draw resources
protect Europe's defense chase military equipment "We want the Europeans "More European defense away from NATO, which
industry, saying such prac- like drones. Washington is to have capabilities and spending and capabilities the U.S. and allies like Brit-
tices could undermine concerned now that the strength, but not to fence can strengthen NATO and ain see as Europe's top se-
NATO. The U.S. ambassador bidding process might ex- off American products contribute to fairer burden- curity apparatus. "Thus far
to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchi- clude U.S. firms. of course, or Norwegian sharing, but only if the EU's we don't see signs that that
son, said Tuesday that "we EU countries also drew up products, or potentially efforts are developed as a is actually going to be a
do not want this (coopera- a list of criteria and binding U.K. products (once Britain complement and not an concern," said the official,
tion) to be a protectionist commitments to set their leaves the bloc)," she said. alternative to NATO," alli- Katie Wheelbarger. "But we
vehicle for EU." cooperation in stone, rath- NATO and the EU have ance Secretary-General just want to make sure that
She said Washington is "go- er than rely on the vaguer been trumpeting their co- Jens Stoltenberg said Tues- there has to be full transpar-
ing to watch carefully, be- promises of the past. On operation on things like day, on the eve of a meet- ency, so it's implemented
cause if that becomes the top of that, they agreed crisis management, the ing between U.S. Defense right, so, therefore, future
case then it could splinter to use EU funds to finance development of military Secretary Jim Mattis and his initiatives will be based on
the strong security alliance Europe's battle-groups — equipment, maritime secu- European and Canadian a positive example." q