Democratic debate live updates: Candidates blast Trump for ‘shameful’ chaos in Syria
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Democratic debate live updates: Candidates blast Trump for ‘shameful’ chaos in Syria Democratic debate live updates: Candidates blast Trump for ‘shameful’ chaos in Syria originally appeared on abcnews.go.comThe Democratic presidential contenders are in Westerville, Ohio, for the fourth primary matchup of the season.The pivotal debate, held on the campus of Otterbein University, comes as the Democratic field is sparring — over health care, immigration, climate change, criminal justice reform, among other topics — and as an ongoing impeachment inquiry battle pulls the contest into Washington’s orbit despite efforts to keep kitchen table issues at the forefront.Here is how the night is unfolding. Please refresh the page for the latest updates.9:17 p.m.: Veterans Pete Buttigieg and Tulsi Gabbard differ over Syria After Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a major in the Army National Guard, called for an end to the regime-change war in Syria, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a Navy intelligence officer, responded, „Respectfully, congresswoman, I think that is dead wrong. The slaughter going on in Syria is not a consequence of American presence, it’s a consequence of a withdrawal and a betrayal by this president of American allies and American values.””I think we need to get out of Afghanistan, but it’s also the case that a small number of specialized, special operations forces and intelligence capabilities were the only thing that stood between that part of Syria and what we’re seeing now, which is the beginning of a genocide and the resurgence of ISIS,” he continued.
ABC News Politics@ABCPolitic Pete Buttigieg to Tulsi Gabbard: „I think that is dead wrong. The slaughter going on in Syria is not a consequence of American presence, it a consequence of a withdrawal and a betrayal by this president of American allies and American values.” https://abcn.ws/33DmHzs #DemDebate
But Buttigieg replied, „What we were doing in Syria was keeping our word … I would have a hard time, today, looking an Afghan civilian or soldier in the eye after what just happened over there, and it is undermining the honor of our soldiers. You take away the honor of our soldiers, you might as well go after their body armor next.”
9:12 p.m. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard attacks the mainstream media
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called out debate hosts CNN and the New York Times on claims that they „smeared veterans.”
„Donald Trump has the blood of the Kurds on his hand, but so do many of the politicians in our country from both parties who have supported this ongoing regime-change war in Syria that started in 2011, along with many in the mainstream media, who have been championing and cheerleading this regime-change war,” Gabbard said.
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Tulsi Gabbard: „Donald Trump has the blood of the Kurds on his hands, but so do many of the politicians in our country from both parties who have supported this ongoing regime change war in Syria” https://abcn.ws/2IVPbMC #DemDebate
Democrats set for 4th debate after impeachment probe upends race: LIVE
One month after the last Democratic primary debate, the presidential contenders head to Westerville, Ohio on Tuesday for the fourth primary matchup of the season.
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„Not only that but, „New York Times” and CNN have also smeared veterans like myself for calling for an end to this regime-change war. Just two days ago, the „New York Times” put out an article saying that I’m a Russian asset and an Assad apologist and all these different smears. This morning, a CNN commentator said on national television that I’m an asset of Russia.”
The congresswoman then asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren to join her calls to for an end to this regime-change war in Syria.
„I think we ought to get out of the Middle East,” Warren said. „I don’t think we should have troops in the Middle East, but we have to do it the right way, the smart way. What this president has done is that he has sucked up to dictators, he has made impulsive decisions that often his own team doesn’t understand.”
9:10 p.m.: Debate turns to foreign policy, as Democrats tackle crisis in Syria
Former Vice President Joe Biden took the first question on foreign policy, criticizing President Trump for his decision to withdraw troops from Syria.
„I would not have withdrawn the troops and would not have withdrawn the additional thousand troops who are in Iraq, which are in retreat now, being fired on by Assad’s people and the president of the United States saying if those ISIS folks escape from the prisons they’re in, they’ll only go to Europe and it won’t affect us,” he said.
He continued his attack on Trump in a follow up, „I would want those thousand troops to be protected by air cover — those thousand troops having to withdraw under fire — make it clear they’re not going anywhere and have them protected and work my way back toward what in fact needs to be done, protecting those Kurds. They lost their lives. This is shameful! Shameful what this man has done!”
9:00 p.m.: Elizabeth Warren finds herself under siege from Democratic rivals
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke continued the criticisms of Sen. Elizabeth Warren over the wealth tax after recent polling puts her now at the top of the pack.
„Senator Warren is 100% right, that we’re in the midst of the most winner take all economy in history. And a wealth tax makes a lot of sense in principle. The problem is that it’s been tried in Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, and all those countries ended up repealing it, because it had massive implementation problems and did not generate the revenue that they projected,” Yang contended.
O’Rourke said, „Sometimes senator Warren is more about being punitive and pitting some part of the country against each other, instead of lifting people up.”
But Warren fired back, saying, „I’m really shocked at the notion that anyone thinks I’m being punitive. Look, I don’t have a beef with billionaires. My problem is you made a fortune in America, you had a great idea, you got out there and worked for it, good for you, but you built that fortune in America, I guarantee you built it in part using workers all of us help pay to educate.”
8:57 p.m.: Sen. Amy Klobuchar gives Sen. Elizabeth Warren a ‘reality check’ on taxes
In her second attack on Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar pushes back on her colleague’s claim that everyone else on stage, other than Sen. Bernie Sanders, wants to protect the wealthy adding that her „idea is not the only idea.”
„I want to give a reality check, here, to Elizabeth because no one on this stage wants to protect billionaires,” Klobuchar said. „Not even the billionaire wants to protect billionaires.””Understand taxing income is not going to get you income where you need to be the way taxing wealth does,” Warren said during her response. „I think as Democrats we are going to succeed when we dream big and fight hard, not when we dream small and quit before we get started.”
8:56 p.m.: An hour in, it’s clear lower-tier Dems are attacking Warren as a front-runner: ANALYSIS
Nearly an hour in, the difference in front-running status seems clear. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is taking far more heat from her rivals than former Vice President Joe Biden. Nobody wanted to go where President Trump wanted to take them regarding Biden. But there are real fights breaking out over health care and the wealth tax — core progressive priorities.
ABC News’ Rick Klein contributed to this report.
8:53 p.m.: Elizabeth Warren slams entire field on stage over wealth tax, except Bernie Sanders
In a fierce defense of her wealth tax proposal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren took aim at the rest of her rivals sharing the stage over the plan to tackle income inequality, except her fellow progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders.
„My question is not why do Bernie and I support a wealth tax, it’s why is it does everyone else on this stage think it is more important to protect billionaires than it is to invest in an entire generation of Americans,” she said.
8:49 p.m.: Billionaire Tom Steyer goes after billionaires
Tom Steyer, the lone billionaire on the stage, in his debut debate performance, agreed with Sen. Bernie Sanders on closing the income gap.
„Senator Sanders is right,” Steyer began. „There have been 40 years where corporations have bought this government and those 40 years have meant a 40-year attack on the rights of working people and specifically on organized labor … I would undo every Republican tax cut for rich people and major corporations.”
He even urged that’s why he’s running for president.
„There’s something wrong here,” he said. „That’s that the corporations have bought our government. Our government has failed. That’s why I’m running for president.”
8:44 p.m. Sen. Bernie Sanders takes on income Inequality
Sanders was asked to explain his comment „that billionaires should not exist.”
„The truth is, we cannot afford to continue this level of income and wealth inequality, and we cannot afford a billionaire class whose greed and corruption has been at war with the working families of this country for 45 years,” Sanders said. „So if you are asking me, do I think we should demand that the wealthy start paying—the wealthiest, top 1%—start paying their fair share of taxes so we can create a nation and a government that works for all of us, yes, that’s exactly what I believe.”
8:42 p.m.: Tulsi Gabbard shares support for Andrew Yang’s universal basic income
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard shared her support for Andrew Yang’s universal basic income proposal, saying, „I agree with my friend Andrew Yang. Universal basic income is a good idea to help provide that security so people can make choices that they want to see. This has to do with a bad trade deal that we have seen in the past that have also driven fear towards people losing the way that they provide for their families.”
„The value that someone feels in themselves and their own lives is not defined by the job that they have but is intrinsic to who we all are as Americans,” she urged. „Whatever we choose to do with our lives. We can’t forget that.”
Sanctions stress makes Turkey’s lira October’s worst world currency
By Tom Arnold and Marc Jones
LONDON (Reuters) – The slump in Turkey’s lira in the wake of the Turkish military advance into Syria has made it October’s worst performing major currency, a move that looks even starker considering most emerging market currencies have powered ahead.
The lira is no stranger to volatility, but this month’s 5% dive against the dollar stands out when compared to a 1.3% gain for MSCI’s Emerging Markets Currency Index. <.MIEM00000CUS>
The broader emerging markets rally has been underpinned by signs of a partial trade deal between the United States and China and by stimulus, but Turkey-watchers have been rattled by threats of international sanctions over its actions in Syria.
(GRAPHIC – Turkey’s lira worst performing currency over the last month: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/12/7333/7264/Pasted%20Image.jpg)
U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that „big sanctions on Turkey are coming” having already threatened to „obliterate” its NATO ally’s economy if Ankara’s attack on the Kurdish-led forces in northeastern Syria went too far.
European Union governments also agreed on Monday to limit arms exports to Turkey, although they stopped short of a formal EU embargo on the country which has helped stem the tide of refugees from Syria and other nearby countries.
„I’m struggling to see a positive trigger event (on Turkey) at the moment,” said Allianz Global Investors emerging markets CIO Richard House. „It is just quite staggering what is going on.”
Investment banks have also turned against the lira again.
JPMorgan identified the lira, along with Russia’s rouble, as the most exposed to political uncertainties. Goldman Sachs has warned about geopolitics and domestic economic policy, while Rabobank last week questioned whether the lira might be on the brink of another „currency crisis”.
Deutsche Bank cut its „positive” view on Turkish fixed income and Oxford Economics downgraded its stance on Turkey.
„If the U.S. Congress opts to impose economic sanctions on Turkey, this relatively small move (in the lira) is likely to prove just the beginning,” Rabobank’s Piotr Matys said.
The Latest: Erdogan rejects call for ceasefire in Syria
Turkey Syria
CEYLANPINAR, Turkey (AP) — The latest on Turkey’s offensive in northern Syria (all times local):
12:50 a.m.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he rejects a call from U.S. President Donald Trump to declare a ceasefire and halt Turkey’s military offensive in northeastern Syria.
Erdogan said: „They say ‘declare a ceasefire.’ We could never declare a ceasefire.”
Turkey’s leader also told a group of journalists Tuesday that he is not concerned about the presence of Syrian government troops moving into the city of Manbij, but does not want Syrian Kurdish fighters to remain.
Turkey launched its military offensive a week ago to clear a border region from Syrian Kurdish forces linked to outlawed Kurdish militants in Turkey. Erdogan said that „we cannot declare a ceasefire until we clear this region.”
Erdogan’s comments during a flight back from Azerbaijan were reported by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.
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11:55 p.m.
The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the situation in northern Syria with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Kremlin says that during Tuesday’s talk the leaders „noted the need to prevent conflicts between Turkish army units and Syrian government forces” and also confirmed their „adherence to Syria’s territorial integrity.”
The Syrian army has moved north under a deal with the Kurds, who have sought protection from the Turkish offensive that followed the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the area. The Russian military has moved in to act as a buffer between the Syrian and Turkish armies.
The Kremlin says Putin warned that the Islamic State militants in Kurdish custody mustn’t be allowed to flee.
It also says Erdogan accepted an invitation to visit Russia „in the nearest days.”
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9:20 p.m.
Russia’s defense minister has had a phone call with his U.S. counterpart to discuss the developments in Syria.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has spoken to U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper to discuss „issues of mutual interest in the context of the situation in Syria,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a terse statement. It didn’t offer any details.
Earlier on Tuesday, the ministry said that Russian military police have deployed to patrol a zone between Turkish forces and the Syrian army around Manbij in Syria’s north. It said it was maintaining close contact with its Turkish counterparts.
The Syrian army took control of Manbij as part of the Kurds’ deal with Damascus to confront the Turkish invasion after the U.S. forces withdrew from northeast Syria.
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7:45 p.m.
Doctors Without Borders says it has decided to suspend the majority of its activities and evacuate its international staff from northeast Syria because of Turkey’s military operation against Kurdish fighters.
The aid organization said Tuesday that the extremely volatile situation has forced the group to evacuate from projects in areas including Ein Issa, Tal Abyad and al-Hol that includes a camp hosting tens of thousands of women and children related to Islamic State group fighters.
It said the „highly unpredictable and fast-changing situation” has made it impossible for the aid organization to negotiate safe access to deliver health care and provide humanitarian assistance to people in distress.
Given the numerous groups fighting on different sides of the conflict, the group said it can no longer guarantee the safety of its Syrian and international staff.
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7:30 p.m.
NATO envoys are set to hold talks Wednesday on the impact of Turkey’s offensive into northern Syria after several allies raised concerns about the actions of the Turkish armed forces.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that „many NATO Allies have expressed strong criticism” of Turkey, which has the second biggest army in the 29-country alliance after the United States.
Apart from Wednesday’s discussion among NATO ambassadors in Brussels, Stoltenberg also says the issue will be tackled at a meeting of defense ministers at the alliance’s headquarters there next week.
NATO has a system for allies to officially request consultations when they feel their territories may be endangered by the actions of another member.
Many European allies are concerned that imprisoned fighters from the so-called Islamic State group have fled jails during the invasion and could pose a security risk if they return home to Europe.
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6:40 p.m.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has called for a meeting of the international coalition against the Islamic State group, including the United States and Turkey, to discuss the situation in northeast Syria.
Speaking at the National Assembly, Le Drian said he will travel soon to Iraq to meet with key actors in the region, including Kurdish leaders.
France is still dialoguing with Syria’s Kurds, who were key allies in a U.S.-led coalition against IS, he said.
„There’s some trouble” in the relationship between the European Union and the U.S., Le Drian acknowledged. „That is why the coalition needs to meet.”
He called on both the United States and Turkey to take their responsibilities and tell allies how they intend to keep fighting the IS group
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6:25 p.m.
Hungary’s foreign minister says it is in his country’s interests for Turkey to return migrants to Syria instead of allowing them to make their way to Europe.
Peter Szijjarto told Hungarian state media on Tuesday that Hungary was „looking exclusively at (its) national interests in this matter, not the interests of others.”
Szijjarto added that Hungary’s policy is to help migrants return home „in peaceful, calm and safe circumstances.”
The foreign minister said that Hungary’s position was clear: „Turkey should resettle the migrants in Syria and not open the doors to Europe for four million migrants.”
Last week, Szijjarto acknowledged that Hungary „for a long time” blocked the European Union from issuing a statement warning Turkey that invading Syria could create new waves of refugees.
Szijjarto and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban were in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, attending a meeting of the Turkic Council, which gathers countries like Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey. Hungary, where the council opened an office last year, has observer status.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to visit Budapest, the Hungarian capital, on Nov. 7 and met with Orban on the sidelined of the Baku gathering
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6:10 p.m.
U.N. diplomats say the Security Council will hold a closed meeting Wednesday on the situation in northeast Syria following Turkey’s offensive.
Germany requested the meeting on behalf of the five council nations that are members of the European Union, the diplomats said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions were private. The other EU council members are France, United Kingdom, Belgium and Poland.
The current Security Council president, South Africa’s U.N. Ambassador Jerry Matjila, told reporters that a meeting had been requested and „all council members are very concerned” about the situation on the ground.
„Everybody hopes that … we can do something to bring back the parties to the peace process,” Matjila said.
Kelly Craft, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters as she headed into the council meeting that the United States is „deeply concerned” that Russian troops are patrolling between Syrian and Turkish troops.
— By Edith M. Lederer.
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