Middle East

News Brief: Impeachment Inquiry, Syria Policy, Chinese Tech Firms Blacklisted

5:37am October 08, 2019

A new name is connected to the impeachment probe. Two U.S. officials tell NPR that Trump's policy shift on Syria was surprising to many. U.S. blacklists Chinese tech firms over minorities' treatment.

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U.S. allies in the Syrian Democratic Forces say the White House's decision to pull troops from the Syria-Turkey border has left them without hope. Here, a U.S. soldier is seen during a joint patrol with Turkish troops on Friday.

'Shocking': Trump Is Criticized For Pulling Troops From Syrian Border

7:30pm October 07, 2019

by Bill Chappell

Kurdish allies of the U.S. say the president's decision is "shocking." Sen. Lindsey Graham says Trump is doing "EXACTLY what President Obama did in Iraq with even more disastrous consequences."

U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters pose for a photo in Baghouz, Syria, in March after the SDF declared the area free of Islamic State militants.

In Major Policy Shift, U.S. Will Stand Aside As Turkish Forces Extend Reach In Syria

1:14pm October 07, 2019

by Scott Neuman

A White House statement late Sunday said Turkey would soon go ahead with a military operation in the country's Kurdish-dominated north and that U.S. forces "will no longer be in the immediate area."

World News

Trump Administration To Move U.S. Troops Out Of Northern Syria

10:53am October 07, 2019

by Peter Kenyon

Turkey plans to invade Syria as the White House says it will remove U.S. troops from the immediate area. The withdrawal will likely put Kurdish forces that helped the U.S. defeat ISIS in danger.

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News Brief: 2nd Whistleblower, Turkey To Move Into Syria, GM Strike

6:10am October 07, 2019

Second whistleblower with direct knowledge of Ukraine call steps forward. U.S. says it will stand aside as Turkish forces extend their reach in Syria. Talks Between the UAW and GM suffer a setback.

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World News

Protests And Crackdowns In Egypt

8:01am October 05, 2019

Protests and crackdowns are hitting the streets of Egypt. NPR's Scott Simon asks Mohamed Zaree of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies what the protesters want.

World News

Protests In Iraq Continue Despite Curfew, Internet Blackout And Deaths

4:27pm October 04, 2019

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Al Jazeera reporter Imran Khan about the protests in Baghdad. Despite a curfew, an Internet blackout and mounting deaths, demonstrators are taking to the streets.

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Anti-government protesters set fires and close a street during a demonstration in Baghdad on Thursday.

World News

At Least 42 Dead After Days Of Violent Protests In Iraq

6:40am October 04, 2019

by Scott Neuman

The violence first erupted on Tuesday and has spread across Baghdad and much of the country's mainly Shiite south. Protesters are venting anger over a lack of jobs and poor infrastructure.

News Brief: Ukraine Investigation, Iraq Protests, James Franco Sued

5:12am October 04, 2019

We have an update on the House Democrats' impeachment inquiry. Also, anti-government protests in Iraq continue and actor James Franco is accused of sexually exploiting female former students.

World News

What Afghans Want To Happen To Their Country After Peace Talks Stalled

4:21pm October 03, 2019

by Diaa Hadid

People in Kabul, Afghanistan, are grappling with the stalled peace deal and the prospects of the return of the Taliban to govern the country.

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