FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The leaders of three major players in Syria — Russia, Iran and Turkey — ended a summit Wednesday [4-4-18] with a commitment to achieving a ‘lasting ceasefire’ in Syria, even as the future role of US forces in the country remains in doubt. The meeting in the Turkish capital Ankara brought together two of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s strongest supporters — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani — with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which backs some rebel forces. At a joint news conference, the three leaders reiterated the need to drive ‘terrorists’ out of Syria, to find a political solution to the seven-year-old conflict and to aid Syria’s beleaguered civilian population. They also stressed their respect for Syria’s sovereignty…Notably absent from the talks, which followed on from a trilateral summit in Sochi last November, were representatives from Syria itself and from the United States, another important player in the conflict.”
– Laura Smith-Spark and Kevin Liptak, “Russia, Iran and Turkey seek ‘lasting ceasefire’ in Syria amid US uncertainty,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, April 4, 2018, 12:53pm