Subject: Morning Brief: Putin praises Trump’s decision to order U.S. forces out of Syria
From: "Foreign Policy" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2018 08:09:28 -0600 (CST)

Putin Praises Trump’s Decision to Order U.S. Forces Out of Syria

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MORNING BRIEF

Today's Global News from Foreign Policy

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12/20/2018

12/20/2018

TOP NEWS

Putin Praises Trump’s Decision to Order U.S. Forces Out of Syria

Top News: In the latest episode of diplomacy-by-tweet, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered that all 2,000 U.S. ground troops in Syria be rapidly withdrawn. The move contradicts earlier signals from Trump’s own inner circle, and has won the approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised the decision on Thursday morning, saying “On this, Donald is right. I agree with him.” Without the presence of U.S. personnel, Russia, Iran, Turkey and the Syrian government will each have more room to influence events on the ground—as will the Islamic State, which despite Trump’s claims that the organization has been defeated, still has around 20,000 to 30,000 fighters operating in Syria.

Madagascar: A day after voters cast their ballots in the country’s second-round presidential election, both Andry Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana have declared themselves the winner. Both men have led the country before, with Rajoelina replacing Ravalomanana in 2009 after a coup, and both were banned from contesting Madagascar’s 2013 election.

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AFRICA

•  Sudanese security forces fired teargas at protesters railing against the government amid shortages of fuel and bread.

•  In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the electoral commision held an emergency meeting for candidates running in the country’s election, as concerns about political violence and possible delays persist.

•  In Egypt, 40 pro-democracy nongovernmental organization workers were acquitted, ending a long-running trial that has strained the country’s ties to the United States since 2011.

AMERICAS

•  The U.S. Senate passed a stopgap bill that could see the United States avert a government shutdown.

•  After contending with the Trump administration’s travel ban, the Yemeni mother of a two-year-old boy on life support in an Oakland hospital, arrived in California late Wednesday night to crowds of well-wishers.

•  Cuban players will now be able to sign with U.S. Major League Baseball teams without having to defect from their country to compete in the United States.

ASIA

•  In North Korea, state media said on Thursday that the country would only give up its nuclear arsenal after “completely removing the nuclear threats of the U.S.”

•  A third Canadian citizen is in detention in China as a diplomatic row between the two countries, triggered by the arrest of Huawei’s chief financial officer in Vancouver on Dec. 1., continues to intensify.

•  In New Zealand, after six fur seal pups were found decapitated on a South Island beach, authorities are now working to reduce antagonism toward seals, a protected species in the country, and address misinformation that they are responsible for lowering fish stocks.

EUROPE

•  Russian President Vladimir Putin told the audience at his annual news conference in Moscow, that although he hoped common sense would prevail, the threat of nuclear war should not be underestimated.

•  London’s Gatwick airport halted air traffic after two drones were seen flying near the airfield.

•  The Croatian government announced that the number of licenses issued to foreign workers from outside the European Union, of which 38,769 were issued this year, will rise to 65,100.

MIDDLE EAST

•  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would “intensify” its efforts in Syria to counter any possible gains that could be made by Iran after the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

•  A former Blackwater defense contractor was charged with first degree murder for his role in setting off a shooting rampage that killed 14 civilians in Iraq in 2007.

•  Russian disinformation campaigns are targeting Syria’s white helmets, the country’s most visible rescue worker organization.

- By Jefcoate O'Donnell

(ELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

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