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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 15 OcTOber 2019
Trump orders Turkey sanctions; U.S. scrambles for Syria exit

By ROBERT BURNS a U.S. exit were triggered
AP National Security Writer by Trump's decision Satur-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tar- day to expand a limited
geting Turkey's economy, troop pullout into a com-
President Donald Trump plete withdrawal.
announced sanctions Mon- Defense Secretary Mark Es-
day aimed at restraining per said Monday he would
the Turks' assault against travel to NATO headquar-
Kurdish fighters and civilians ters in Brussels next week to
in Syria — an assault Turkey urge European allies to im-
began after Trump an- pose "diplomatic and eco-
nounced he was moving nomic measures" against
U.S. troops out of the way. Turkey — a fellow NATO ally
The United States also — for what Esper called An-
called on Turkey to stop kara's "egregious" actions.
the invasion and declare Esper said Turkey's incursion
a ceasefire, and Trump had created unaccept-
is sending Vice President able risk to U.S. forces in
Mike Pence and national northern Syria and "we also
security adviser Robert are at risk of being engulfed
O'Brien to Ankara as soon in a broader conflict."
as possible in an attempt to The only exception to the
begin negotiations. Pence Vice President Mike Pence, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, left, and national security U.S. withdrawal from Syria
said Trump spoke directly adviser Robert O'Brien, speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Monday, is a group of perhaps 200
to Turkish leader Recep Oct. 14, 2019, in Washington. troops who will remain at a
Tayyip Erdogan, who prom- Associated Press base called Tanf in southern
ised not attack the border Syria near the Jordanian
town of Kobani, which in fire and to begin to nego- Syrian and Iraqi lands five In his sanctions announce- border along the strategi-
2015 witnessed the Islamic tiate with Kurdish forces in years ago was the reason ment, Trump said he was cally important Baghdad-
State group's first defeat Syria to bring an end to the American forces came in halting negotiations on a to-Damascus highway.
in a battle by U.S.-backed violence," Pence said. the first place. $100 billion trade deal with Those troops work with Syr-
Kurdish fighters. The Americans were Trump said the approxi- Turkey and raising steel tar- ian opposition forces un-
"President Trump commu- scrambling for Syria's exits, mately 1,000 U.S. troops iffs back up to 50%. Trump related to the Kurdish-led
nicated to him very clearly a move criticized at home who had been partnering also imposed sanctions on fighters in northern Syria.
that the United States of and abroad as opening with local Kurdish fighters three senior Turkish officials Esper said the U.S. with-
American wants Turkey to the door to a resurgence to battle IS in northern Syria and Turkey's defense and drawal would be done
stop the invasion, imple- of the Islamic State group, are leaving the country. energy ministries. carefully to protect the
ment an immediate cease- whose violent takeover of They will remain in the Mid- "I am fully prepared to swift- troops and to ensure no
dle East, he said, to "moni- ly destroy Turkey's economy U.S. equipment was left
tor the situation" and to if Turkish leaders continue behind. He declined to say
prevent a revival of IS — a down this dangerous and how long that might take.
goal that even Trump's al- destructive path," Trump In a series of tweets Mon-
lies say has become much said. day, Trump defended his
harder as a result of the U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven gamble that pulling U.S.
pullout. Mnuchin said the sanctions forces out of Syria would
The Turks began attacks will hurt an already weak not weaken U.S. security
in Syria last week against Turkish economy. Pence and credibility. He took sar-
the Syrian Kurdish fighters, said the U.S. will continue to castic swipes at critics who
whom the Turks see as ter- ramp up the sanctions "un- say his Syria withdrawal
rorists. On Monday, Syrian less Turkey is willing to em- amounts to a betrayal of
government troops moved brace a ceasefire, come to the Kurds and plays into the
north toward the border the negotiating table and hands of Russia.
region, setting up a poten- end the violence." "Anyone who wants to assist
tial clash with Turkish-led American troops con- Syria in protecting the Kurds
forces. solidated their positions in is good with me, whether it
Trump said Turkey's inva- northern Syria on Monday is Russia, China, or Napo-
sion is "precipitating a hu- and prepared to evacuate leon Bonaparte," he wrote.
manitarian crisis and set- equipment in advance of "I hope they all do great,
ting conditions for possible a full withdrawal, a U.S. de- we are 7,000 miles away!"
war crimes," a reference to fense official said. Trump has dug in on his de-
reports of Turkish-backed The official, who was not cision to pull out the troops,
fighters executing Kurdish authorized to be quoted believing it fulfills a key
fighters on the battlefield. by name, said U.S. officials campaign promise and will
The Kurdish forces previ- were weighing options for be a winning issue in the
ously allied with the U.S. a potential future counter- 2020 election, according to
said they had reached a IS campaign, including the White House officials.
deal with President Bashar possibility of waging it with This has effectively ended
Assad's government to help a combination of air pow- a five-year effort to part-
them fend off Turkey's inva- er and special operations ner with Syrian Kurdish and
sion, a move that brings forces based outside Syria, Arab fighters to ensure a
Russian forces deeper into perhaps in Iraq. lasting defeat of the Islamic
the conflict. The hurried preparations for State group. q