International
Syrian Forces Say Turkey is Violating Ceasefire Days After Reaching Agreement
Published
3 years agoon
By
Lili Stenn
- President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Turkey and Syria agreed to a ceasefire and that the U.S. would lift sanctions against Turkey as a result.
- Many criticized Trump for taking credit for the agreement, as the deal was actually struck by Russia and Turkey the day before.
- By Thursday, Kurdish forces reported Turkey was already violating the ceasefire.
Trump’s Announcement
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Turkey and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire and that the U.S. would be removing sanctions on Turkey as a result.
“This was an outcome created by us, the United States, and nobody else, no other nation,” Trump said.
“Today’s announcement validates our course of action with Turkey that only a couple of weeks ago were scorned, and now people are saying, ‘Wow. What a great outcome. Congratulations,’” he continued. “It’s too early to me to be congratulated, but we’ve done a good job. We’ve saved a lot of lives.”
Factual Errors in Announcement
However, many of the responses to Trump’s announcement were not so congratulatory.
A number of people criticized the president for taking full credit for the ceasefire because it was actually Turkey and Russia that struck the deal the day before, after agreeing that Russia and Syria will remove Kurdish forces from the region.
“The US played no role at Sochi and its ceasefire expired and Russia and Turkey signed a deal,” Seth Frantzman, the Director of the Middle East Center for Reporting tweeted. “And now the US pretends that the quiet in eastern Syria today is due to its achievement.”
Wait did Trump just take credit for a Syria ceasefire that Russia actually achieved yesterday? The US played no role at Sochi and its ceasefire expired and Russia and Turkey signed a deal. And now the US pretends that the quiet in eastern Syria today is due to its achievement
— Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) October 23, 2019
Others also pointed out contradictions between some of the things Trump said in his announcement and what U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Jim Jeffrey said in a testimony before the Senate the same day.
In his speech, Trump said that very few ISIS fighters had escaped from prisons in Northern Syria, and that most of those who escaped had been recaptured.
Those escapes happened after the Kurdish forces who had been guarding the prisons were forced to deal with the Turkish invasion and were unable to properly guard the prisoners.
However, when asked by Senators, Jeffrey said that “over 100” ISIS militants had escaped and that it was unclear where they were.
Trump also applauded his own efforts to reduce the U.S. presence in the Middle East, but just a few weeks ago, the Defense Department announced that it was sending an additional 3,000 troops to Saudi Arabia— nearly triple the 1,000 that were in Syria before Trump’s recent efforts.
In that same announcement, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said the U.S. has deployed 14,000 troops to the Middle East just since May of this year alone.
Trump Criticized for Lifting Sanctions
Many condemned Trump for lifting sanctions on Turkey and so quickly.
Some pointed to a part of Jeffrey’s testimony where he talked about the actions Turkey and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have taken and said, “We’ve seen several incidents which we consider war crimes.”
“Trump announces sanctions against Turkey will be lifted – so Erdogan’s war crimes will go unpunished,” CNN correspondent Sam Vinograd said in a tweet. “Guarantees he’ll just do it again.”
Trump announces sanctions against Turkey will be lifted – so Erdogan’s war crimes will go unpunished.
— Sam Vinograd (@sam_vinograd) October 23, 2019
Guarantees he’ll just do it again.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) also echoed that sentiment.
“It’s unthinkable that Turkey would not suffer consequences for malevolent behavior which was contrary to the interests of the United States and our friends,” he wrote on Twitter.
It’s unthinkable that Turkey would not suffer consequences for malevolent behavior which was contrary to the interests of the United States and our friends.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) October 23, 2019
Others said the lifting of sanctions was premature and that Erdogan could not be trusted, arguing that the U.S. should ensure Turkey follows through on the promises it made before removing them.
“Erdogan has NOT agreed to stop all military operations in #Syria” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said in a tweet.
Erdogan has NOT agreed to stop all military operations in #Syria #Russia is going to:
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 23, 2019
-Remove Kurdish forces from east & west of current Turk controlled areas,including Kurdish cities
-Help #Turkey push all SDF forces 30km south from entire border
-Take control of 5 oil fields
Concerns over the effectiveness ceasefire were further justified Thursday when Kurdish forces in Syria said Turkey is already breaking the ceasefire and resuming fighting in some areas. According to Reuters, Syrian forces called on the U.S. to intervene.
See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (NBC News) (Reuters)
International
Biden Vows to Defend Taiwan if Attacked by China
Published
20 hours agoon
May 23, 2022By
Chris Tolve
Some praised the remarks for clarifying U.S. foreign policy, while others feared they could escalate tensions with China.
Biden’s Remarks Create Confusion
During a Monday press conference in Tokyo, U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States would intervene to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.
The remark caught many off guard because it contradicted decades of traditional U.S. foreign policy toward China.
A reporter said, “You didn’t want to get involved in the Ukraine conflict militarily for obvious reasons. Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?”
“Yes,” Biden answered. “That’s a commitment we made. We are not — look, here’s the situation. We agree with a One China policy. We signed onto it and all the attendant agreements made from there.”
“But the idea that it can be taken by force — just taken by force — is just not appropriate,” he continued. “It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.”
Beijing considers the Taiwanese island to be a breakaway province, but Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, has claimed to represent the real historical lineage of China.
Since 1972, the U.S. has officially recognized only one China, with its capital in Beijing. However, Washington maintains extensive informal diplomatic ties with Taipei and provides military assistance through weapons and training.
Successive U.S. presidents have also committed to a policy of “strategic ambiguity,” refusing to promise or rule out a direct military intervention in case China attacks Taiwan.
The strategy is meant to deter China while avoiding a hard commitment to any action.
Biden Sparks Controversy
The White House quickly sent a statement to reporters appearing to walk back Biden’s remark.
“As the president said, our policy has not changed,” the statement said. “He reiterated our One China Policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself.”
Monday was not the first time Biden made similar remarks regarding China and Taiwan.
Last August, he promised that “we would respond” if there was an attack against a fellow member of NATO and then added, “same with Japan, same with South Korea, same with Taiwan.”
In October, he again told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that the U.S. would defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack, prompting the White House to hurriedly walk back his statement.
Monday’s remark was received with support as well as criticism.
“Strategic ambiguity is over. Strategic clarity is here,” Tweeted Matthew Kroenig, professor of government at Georgetown University. “This is the third time Biden has said this. Good. China should welcome this. Washington is helping Beijing to not miscalculate.”
Strategic ambiguity is over. Strategic clarity is here. This is the third time Biden has said this. Good. China should welcome this. Washington is helping Beijing to not miscalculate. https://t.co/v2WVIT0YeG
— Matthew Kroenig (@MatthewKroenig) May 23, 2022
“It is truly dangerous for the president to keep misstating U.S. policy toward Taiwan,” historian Stephen Wertheim wrote in a tweet. “How many more times will this happen?”
“The West’s robust response to Russian aggression in Ukraine could serve to deter China from invading Taiwan, but Biden’s statement risks undoing the potential benefit and instead helping to bring about a Taiwan conflict,” he added. “Self-injurious and entirely unforced.”
It is truly dangerous for the president to keep misstating U.S. policy toward Taiwan. How many more times will this happen? https://t.co/lpT6LnF6fz
— Stephen Wertheim (@stephenwertheim) May 23, 2022
Biden also unveiled the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), a trade agreement signed by the U.S. and 12 Asian nations.
The agreement appeared to many like another move to cut off China from regional trade pacts and supply chains in Washington’s strategic competition with Beijing.
See what others are saying: (CNN) (The New York Times) (The South China Morning Post)
International
Russia Takes Over 900 Azovstal Fighters Prisoner as Mariupol Surrenders
Published
6 days agoon
May 18, 2022By
Chris Tolve
Ukraine said the soldiers successfully completed their mission, but the fall of Mariupol represents a strategic win for Putin.
Azovstal Waves the White Flag
Russia’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that it had captured 959 Ukrainians from the Azovstal steelworks, where besieged soldiers have maintained the last pocket of resistance in Mariupol for weeks.
A ministry spokesperson said in a statement that 51 were being treated for injuries, and the rest were sent to a former prison colony in the town of Olenivka in a Russian-controlled area of Donetsk.
The defense ministry released videos of what it claimed were Ukrainian fighters receiving care at a hospital in the Russian-controlled town of Novoazovsk. In one, a soldier tells the camera he is being treated “normally” and that he is not being psychologically pressured, though it is unclear whether he is speaking freely.
It was unclear if any Ukrainians remained in Azovstal, but Denis Pushilin, the head of the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk, said in a statement Wednesday that the “commanders of the highest level” were still hiding in the plant.
Previously, estimates put the number of soldiers inside Azovstal around 1,000.
Ukraine officially gave up Mariupol on Monday, when the first Azovstal fighters began surrendering.
Reuters filmed dozens of wounded Ukrainians being driven away in buses marked with the Russian pro-war “Z” symbol.
Ukraine’s deputy defense minister said in a Tuesday statement that the Ukrainian prisoners would be swapped in an exchange for captured Russians. But numerous Russian officials have signaled that the Ukrainian soldiers should be tried.
Mariupol Falls into Russian Hands
After nearly three months of bombardment that left Mariupol in ruins, Russia’s combat mission in the city has ended.
The sprawling complex of underground tunnels, caverns, and bunkers beneath Azovstal provided a defensible position for the Ukrainians there, and they came to represent the country’s resolve in the face of Russian aggression for many spectators.
Earlier this month, women, children, and the elderly were evacuated from the plant.
The definitive capture of Mariupol, a strategic port city, is a loss for Ukraine and a boon for Russia, which can now establish a land bridge between Crimea and parts of Eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian separatists. The development could also free up Russian troops around Mariupol to advance on the East, while additional reinforcements near Kharkiv descend from the north, potentially cutting off Ukrainian forces from the rest of the country.
The Ukrainian military has framed events in Mariupol as at least a partial success, arguing that the defenders of Azovstal completed their mission by tying down Russian troops and resources in the city and giving Ukrainians elsewhere more breathing room.
It claimed that doing so prevented Russia from rapidly capturing the city of Zaporizhzhia further to the west.
See what others are saying: (The Guardian) (BBC) (BBC)
International
Convoy of Up to 1,000 Vehicles Evacuates Refugees From Mariupol as Russian War Effort Stalls
Published
1 week agoon
May 16, 2022By
Chris Tolve
Russia may have lost a third of its ground invasion force since the war began, according to British military intelligence.
Hundreds Make It Out Alive
A convoy of between 500 and 1,000 vehicles evacuating refugees from the southern port city of Mariupol arrived safely in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday.
People have been trickling out of Mariupol for over two months, but the recent evacuation was the single biggest out of the city thus far. Russian troops, who control most of the city, did not allow the convoy to leave for days, but eventually, they relented.
The convoy first traveled to Berbyansky some 80 kilometers to the west, then stopped at other settlements before driving 200 kilometers northwest to Zaporizhzhia. Many refugees told reporters they took “secret detours” to avoid Russian checkpoints and feared every moment of the journey.
Nikolai Pavlov, a 74-year-old retiree, told Reuters he had lived in a basement for a month after his apartment was destroyed.
“We barely made it,” he said. “There were lots of elderly people among us… the trip was devastating. But it was worth it.”
63-year-old Iryna Petrenko also said she had stayed in Mariupol initially to take care of her 92-year-old mother, who subsequently died.
“We buried her next to her house, because there was nowhere to bury anyone,” she said.
Putin’s Plans Go Poorly
In Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters continue to hold the Azovstal steelworks, the only part of the city still under Ukrainian control.
On Sunday, a video emerged appearing to show a hail of projectiles bursting into white, brightly burning munitions over the factory.
The pro-Russian separatist who posted it on Telegram wrote, “If you didn’t know what it is and for what purpose – you could say that it’s even beautiful.”
Turkey is trying to negotiate an evacuation of wounded Ukrainians from the factory, but neither Russia nor Ukraine have agreed to any plan.
After nearly three months of war, Mariupol has been left in ruins, with thousands of civilians reportedly dead.
“In less than 3 month, Mariupol, one of Ukraine’s fastest developing & comfortable cities, was reduced into a heap of charred ruins smelling death, with thousands of people standing in long breadlines and selling their properties out to buy some food. Less than three months,” Illia Ponomarenko, a reporter for The Kyiv Independent, tweeted.
In less than 3 month, Mariupol, one of Ukraine’s fastest developing & comfortable cities, was reduced into a heap of charred ruins smelling death, with thousands of people standing in long breadlines and selling their properties out to buy some food.
— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) May 15, 2022
Less than 3 months.
On Sunday, the United Kingdom’s defense ministry estimated that Russia has likely lost a third of its ground invasion forces since the war began.
Moscow is believed to have deployed as many as 150,000 troops in Ukraine.
The ministry added that Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine have “lost momentum” and are “significantly behind schedule.” Moreover, it said Russia failed to achieve substantial territorial gains over the last month while sustaining “consistently high levels of attrition.”
“Under the current conditions, Russia is unlikely to dramatically accelerate its rate of advance over the next 30 days,” the ministry concluded.
Sweden also signaled on Sunday that it will join Finland in applying for NATO membership.
See what others are saying: (The Daily Beast) (U.S. News and World Report) (The Hill)

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