BEIRUT (AP) – Pope Francis has appealed for a new effort at dialogue after U.S. forces pulled back from northeastern Syria, clearing the way for Turkey’s offensive against Syrian Kurds there.
Francis said civilians including Christian families “had been forced to abandon their homes as a result of military action.”
Speaking Sunday at the end of a Mass, Francis urged the international community to work with “sincerity, honesty and transparency” toward finding “efficient solutions.”
President Donald Trump drew broad criticism from his evangelical Christian base for removing U.S. forces from northeastern Syria. Critics say he has risked the lives of Syrian Kurdish allies who helped bring down the Islamic State group in Syria.
Trump defends the move as fulfilling a campaign promise to bring home U.S. troops.
