American secretly goes to fight IS
ORLANDO,Fla. — A former Marine believed so strongly in the war against the Islamic State group that he secretly traveled to Syria, where he was killed this month while fighting for a Kurdish militia group.
David Taylor, a 25year-old former Florida resident, had kept his plans to join the Kurdish group a secret from his family. Mr. Taylor’s father said Tuesday that he didn’t know of his son’s plans until after he had arrived in Syria last spring and was training with the group known as YPG.
“I got an email and he said, ‘Pops, don’t worry. I’m with the YPG,’ ” David Taylor Sr. told The Associated Press. “He said, ‘I’m doing the right thing. It’s for their freedom.’”
The U.S. State Department said in a statement that it was aware of reports of a U.S. citizen being killed while fighting in Syria but offered no further comment. Mr. Taylor Sr. said the family was told about the death last weekend by a U.S. consular official.
Mr.Taylor Jr. grew up inOcala, Fla. He attended collegein Florida and West Virginiabefore joining the Marines.He was deployed inAfghanistan, Japan, SouthKorea and spent timein Jordan before he wasdischarged last year.
Sick London baby
LONDON— Charlie Gard’s parents know their 11-month-old son is about to die. They have one final wish — to take him home, put him to bed and kiss him goodbye. The mother of the critically ill baby at the center of an international medical and legal battle returned to London’s High Court on Tuesday, asking a judge to let the family take Charlie home before his ventilator is disconnected and he is allowed to “slip away.”
His parents have battled for months to take Charlie to the U.S. for an experimental treatment they believed would help. Doctors opposed that, saying it would not help and could cause Charlie more suffering.
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