December 20, 2015 Old rivalries keeping Turkey on sidelines of Syria fight, analysts say Old geopolitical rivalries are throwing a wrench into U.S. efforts to bring Turkey on board with the mission to "degrade and destroy" the Islamic State in a Syrian border town.
December 20, 2015 Turkish official denies report of deal with US to use bases for ISIS strikes A Turkish official has denied reports of an agreement with the United States and Arab allies on using an air base in southern Turkey for operations against the Islamic State group.
December 20, 2015 US prods Turkey over inaction against ISIS A Pentagon official signaled Wednesday that the U.S. is pressing the Turkish government to intervene in support of Kurdish forces desperately battling to keep the Syrian border town of Kobani from falling into Islamic State hands.
December 20, 2015 White House stands by rebuke of Israel settlements The White House on Monday stood firmly behind its criticism of Israeli settlement construction and pushed back against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's complaint that the U.S. rebuke goes "against American values."
December 20, 2015 US sharply criticizes new Israeli construction The White House says that if Israel were to move forward with a controversial housing development in east Jerusalem, it would distance Israel from, "even its closest allies."
December 20, 2015 White House calls Yemen ‘model’ for ISIS fight, as security deteriorates The White House insisted Monday that the U.S. counterterrorism strategy in Yemen is a model for the fight against the Islamic State -- despite the country being engulfed by a violent political crisis that last week led the Obama administration to remove some of its diplomats and urge American citizens to leave.
December 20, 2015 Obama urges international cooperation in confronting ISIS, vows to defeat 'network of death' President Obama, assuming again the role of war-time president, used a United Nations address on Wednesday to urge broad international support in confronting the Islamic State and other terror groups -- while repeating his 2009 pledge that the U.S. is not "at war with Islam."
December 20, 2015 Ambassador Power touts support for Islamic State mission, Congress spars over combat mission The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Sunday that the American-led effort to destroy the Islamic State has support from more than 40 countries but declined to name them or the extent of their support.
December 20, 2015 Scotland vote saves Cameron – and Obama’s anti-ISIS coalition Scotland’s decision to remain part of the United Kingdom has narrowly averted what could have been a geopolitical catastrophe for the Obama administration and its allies at a time when they’re launching a war against the Islamic State and shoring up defenses against a newly emboldened Russia.
December 20, 2015 Ukrainian president pleads with US for military aid, tells Congress 'blankets' not enough Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko pleaded for U.S. military aid Thursday in a high-profile address to Congress, saying that while nonlethal aid like blankets and night-vision goggles is important, "one cannot win the war with blankets.”