Trump doles out $4.5 million to 'White Helmets' in Syria

Trump doles out $4.5 million to 'White Helmets' in Syria
President Trump authorized $4.5 million in direct support Tuesday to the Syrian Civilian Defense, the white-helmeted volunteers who offer medical assistance and conduct search-and-rescue missions in war-torn Syria.

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said the group has saved 115,000 people during the eight-year civil war in Syria, including many ethnic and religious minorities.

“The United States encourages our allies and partners to join us in our support for the SCD and in our efforts to protect civilians, religious and ethnic minorities, and other innocent victims of the Syrian conflict,” she said.

Mr. Trump disbursed funding as he grapples with the fallout of his decision to withdraw dozens of US troops from a buffer zone along the Turkish-Syrian border. Critics say it allowed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to overrun Kurdish fighters who helped the US rout the ISIS.

Mr. Erdogan has vowed to continue his operation if “YPG” fighters — Kurdish militants he considers to be aligned with terrorists — do not clear out of a safe zone outlined by the US-negotiated cease-fire that expires Tuesday.

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