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U.S. NEWS Thursday 10 OcTOber 2019

Bipartisan Senate bill would

halt arms sales to Turkey

By ALAN FRAM invasion. Syrian Kurdish fighters have
Associated Press He said he would define been America's only allies
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bi- humane as possible "as we in Syria fighting IS, and hun-
partisan Senate bill would go along." dreds of American troops
halt U.S. military assistance Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a have been stationed there.
to NATO ally Turkey and Maryland Democrat, said Turkey considers the Kurdish
clamp sanctions on the U.S. he and co-sponsor Sen. fighters to be terrorists allied
assets of Turkish President Lindsey Graham, Repub- with a Kurdish insurgency in
Recep Tayyip Erdogan be- lican of South Carolina, Turkey. Syrians flee shelling by Turkish forces in Ras al Ayn, northeast
cause of his country's inva- planned to introduce the Trump has said he doesn't Syria, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019.
sion Wednesday of north- legislation as soon as Con- want the U.S. to fight "these Associated Press
ern Syria. gress returns from a recess endless, senseless wars." He
The measure effectively next week. He said he also criticized Graham for to stay there for the next but I disagree with Lindsey
rebukes President Donald and Graham would seek favoring the deployment of 200 years and maybe add on that," he said.
Trump's abrupt decision commitments from Senate too many troops overseas. a couple of hundred thou- Turkey has long been a ma-
to pull U.S. troops from the leaders to bring the legisla- "I think Lindsey would like sand people every place, jor recipient of U.S. arms. q
region. Soon after their tion to the floor quickly.
withdrawal, Erdogan com- Van Hollen said in an inter-
menced air and ground view that the removal of
assaults on Syrian Kurdish U.S. forces from the area,
fighters who've been help- where there had been hun-
ing the U.S. battle Islamic dreds of American troops,
State extremists there, was a "total betrayal" of al-
which numerous lawmak- lied Kurds.
ers and others had warned "While the Administration
would happen. refuses to act against Tur-
The measure would also im- key, I expect strong bipar-
pose sanctions on foreign tisan support," Graham, a
military sales to Turkey, an leading GOP voice on mili-
outline of the legislation tary matters who is normally
said. It would take effect a staunch Trump backer,
immediately, and its restric- said in a written statement.
tions would be lifted only Besides Erdogan, the mea-
when the Trump adminis- sure would sanction the
tration certifies that Turkey American assets of six other
has ceased its operations top Turkish officials. Under
and withdrawn its forces the sanctions, their access
from the region. to their holdings in the U.S.
Trump told reporters at would be restricted, said
the White House that he one congressional aide
agreed with sanctions but who spoke on condition of
seemed to condition that anonymity because they
on Turkey's actions inside were not authorized to dis-
Syria. cuss the bill publicly.
"I actually think much Erdogan sent his forces into
tougher than sanctions, if Syria even though Trump
(Erdogan) doesn't do it in had previously threatened
as humane a way as pos- to "totally destroy and oblit-
sible," Trump said, appar- erate" Turkey's economy if
ently referring to Turkey's their push went too far.