Turkey hit over Syria incursion

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 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 by a 12-to-1 margin, joining virtually all Democrats.

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.

“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,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y. 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.

Trump has referred repeatedly to pulling all American troops out of Syria. The Pentagon has acknowledged it is keeping U.S. forces in eastern Syria to keep oil from falling into the hands of 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 would also block high-ranking Turkish officials from their assets in the U.S. and restrict their travel here. Trump would be given a waiver to not impose those penalties if doing so would help U.S. “national security interests.”