KURDS/MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TURKEY: “U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday [10-23-19] a ceasefire in northern Syria is now permanent and lifted sanctions on Turkey as a result, rejecting criticism of his decision to pull out U.S. troops that allowed Kurdish allies to come under attack. In a White House speech, Trump described the truce as a ‘major breakthrough’ negotiated by a team led by Vice President Mike Pence. Trump said he instructed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to rescind sanctions imposed on Turkey after it attacked the Kurds ‘unless something happens that we are not happy with’…The speech failed to blunt attacks from U.S. lawmakers over Trump’s abrupt decision early this month to withdraw troops out of northeastern Syria to clear the way for the Turkish incursion. Congress was still working on a sanctions package of its own to punish Turkey for its cross-border offensive.”
–Steve Holland, Makini Brice, “Trump says Turkey’s ceasefire in northern Syria now permanent, sanctions lifted,” Reuters, October 23, 2019 8:56 am