Penalties on Turkey for Syria invasion sail in House

In this Monday, Oct. 28, 2019 photo, U.S. forces patrol Syrian oil fields. Pentagon is increasing U.S. efforts to protect Syria's oil fields from the extremist group as well as from Syria itself and the country's Russian allies. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)
In this Monday, Oct. 28, 2019 photo, U.S. forces patrol Syrian oil fields. Pentagon is increasing U.S. efforts to protect Syria's oil fields from the extremist group as well as from Syria itself and the country's Russian allies. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan bill punishing Turkey for its invasion of northern Syria and illustrating both parties' dismay with President Donald Trump's retreat from the region sailed easily through the House on Tuesday.

The bill marks both parties' latest show of disapproval for Trump's decision this month to abandon the United States' longtime Kurdish allies against Islamic State fighters by pulling American forces away from northern Syria.

The measure also underscores lawmakers' wariness of the cease-fire that Vice President Mike Pence struck with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and of the subsequent agreement between Turkey and Russia splitting control of the territory.

Despite Congress' acrimonious partisan divisions over Democrats' impeachment investigation of Trump, lawmakers approved the Syria sanctions by a lopsided 403-16. Republicans supported the measure 176-15, while the only voting Democrat to oppose the measure was Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

All four members of Arkansas' delegation voted for the measure.

Trump has declared victory in the region, saying the U.S. has little at stake in its conflicts. Critics say his moves have bolstered Turkish, Iranian and Russian sway in the area, jeopardized efforts to contain the Islamic State group and reduced U.S. leverage there.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said Trump's moves follow a pattern.

"The president of the United States stokes a crisis and then steps in with some sort of half-measure in a failed attempt to look like some kind of great deal is happening," Engel said. Instead, he said, the result has been "a catastrophe."

Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the committee's top Republican, cast the measure as a way to give Trump "additional congressional support" to reimpose sanctions on Turkey if needed. But he warned that the U.S. "cannot allow Turkey's invasion to hinder in any way" continued U.S. efforts to combat the Islamic State.

The measure would bar most U.S. weapons sales to Turkey and slap sanctions on foreigners attempting to send the Turks military equipment. It also would block high-ranking Turkish officials from their assets in the U.S. and restrict their travel here. Trump would be given a waiver on imposing the penalties if he certifies that doing so would let him address a humanitarian need and help "national security interests."

The sanctions would start within weeks of passage and would stay in effect until Turkey withdraws forces that have been attacking the Kurds.

Earlier this month, the House voted 354-60 to approve a nonbinding measure assailing Trump's troop pullback.

Measures have been introduced in the Senate similar to the House legislation imposing sanctions and the separate one criticizing the troop withdrawal. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., hasn't taken them to a vote yet.

Russia and Turkey reached an agreement last week dividing control of northeast Syria and halting, at least for now, the Turkish invasion of the area. Ankara, which sees Syrian Kurds as a security threat, sought to push Kurdish forces away from its border.

Russia said Tuesday that tens of thousands of Syrian Kurdish fighters have completed their withdrawal from the area.

Erdogan said Russia has informed Turkey that Syrian Kurdish fighters have "completely been removed" from the areas in northeast Syria. He said Turkey would hold further talks as of today, without elaborating.

Information for this article was contributed by staff members of The Associated Press.

A Section on 10/30/2019

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