OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 12:00 PM PST – Friday, October 11, 2019
U.S. military officials are preparing to deploy thousands of troops
to Saudi Arabia. During a Friday news conference, Defense Secretary Mark
Esper said collected evidence shows Iran was responsible for attacks on
Saudi oil facilities. 1,500 additional forces will be deployed to the
region, including fighter squadrons and air defense systems.
Iran’s state news agency announced the explosion of an oil tanker off
the coast of Saudi Arabia on Friday morning. Two missiles reportedly
struck a vessel that belongs to the National Iranian Oil Company.
A video released on the same day reportedly shows U.S. military
vehicles near the Syria-Turkey border, marking the first sighting since
President Trump ordered the removal of U.S. troops from Syria. American
troops fought with Kurdish forces against ISIS until the U.S. declared
the terror group was 100 percent defeated. Officials have said the U.S.
is still in close contact with Kurdish forces in the region and
continues to work against ISIS forces there. Esper said the U.S. has
pushed back against a Turkish incursion into the region and wants to
reestablish the status quo while working out a safe zone.
Since operations started, more than 340 Kurdish militia fighters have
been killed. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said the
country would like to see its NATO allies showing more solidarity in the
battle against terrorists. Cavusoglu said it is “not enough” for
countries to only express an understanding of these “legitimate
concerns.” The minister went on to say Turkey is determined to target
terrorists and eliminate terrorism from the region.
“We will do our best to eliminate terrorism from that region,” he
said. “If those daesh {dash} terrorists are in the safe zone — which we
are in the process of creating — then it is not possible for them to be
released.”
NATO has urged Turkey to exercise restraint during its operation in
Syria. France, Germany and the EU have all denounced Turkey’s actions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also weighed in on the Syria
conflict, expressing concern for the security of detained ISIS
combatants. Western and Russian military intelligence have said there
could be thousands of militants detained in the region. He said he
doesn’t think Turkey will be able to take control quickly enough to
properly secure terrorists guarded by Kurdish forces.
“It is a real threat to us all — Where will they head?” asked Putin.
“Through Turkey or take another way or deeper into Syria…to other
countries of the region.”
AKCAKALE,
Turkey (AP) — The Latest on Turkey’s invasion of northeastern Syria in a
military operation against Syrian Kurdish fighters there (all times
local):
12:45 p.m.
Turkey
says its military offensive has taken central Ras al-Ayn, a key border
town in northeastern Syria, and its most significant gain since its
cross-border operation began against Syrian Kurdish fighters began.
The
Turkish Defense Ministry tweeted: “Ras al-Ayn’s residential center has
been taken under control through the successful operations in the east
of the Euphrates (River).”
The Britain-based
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor,
confirmed that Turkish troops have entered the town adding that fighting
is still ongoing.
The
Turkish military and allied Syrian opposition forces have been
advancing in villages around Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn, under the cover
of Turkish artillery and some airstrikes.
Turkey
is fighting the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, which
it considers a threat for its links to a decades-long Kurdish
insurgency within its own borders.
The YPG forms the backbone of the U.S.-backed ground forces fighting the Islamic State group.
___
12:20 p.m.
Arab
foreign ministers are meeting to discuss Turkey’s invasion of northern
Syria, as the Arab League holds an emergency session at its headquarters
in Cairo.
Saturday’s meetings in Egypt’s capital came as the Turkish offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters enters its fourth day.
Egypt called the emergency meeting to discuss what it called Turkey’s “blatant aggression” against Syria’s sovereignty.
Turkey
says it aims to push back Syrian Kurdish forces, which it considers
terrorists for its links to a decades-long Kurdish insurgency within its
own borders.
But the military action and
violence in northern Syria has raised concerns about a possible
resurgence of Islamic State activity.
Syria’s
membership in the 22-member Arab League was suspended in 2011 after the
Syrian government’s military crackdown on protesters calling for
reforms.
___
10:20 a.m.
France’s
president has discussed the Turkish offensive in Syria with U.S.
President Donald Trump, and warned about a possible resurgence of
Islamic State activity as a result of the military action.
President
Macron’s office said in a statement Saturday that in the call, the
French leader “reiterated the need to make the Turkish offensive stop
immediately.”
The
statement didn’t say whether Macron urged U.S. forces to intervene.
Trump’s decision to pull out of the region cleared the way for this
week’s Turkish offensive against Kurds in northeast Syria it sees as a
threat.
Macron stressed “above all else the
need to avoid any resurgence of IS in the region,” and to support the
Kurdish forces who helped the U.S.-led military coalition retake Syrian
and Iraqi territory from IS extremists.
France has suffered multiple deadly attacks by IS-linked radicals.
The statement said France and the U.S. “share common concerns” and will coordinate closely on the issue in the coming days
___
10:10 a.m.
Turkey’s
official news agency says Turkey-backed Syrian opposition forces have
reached a strategic highway in northeastern Syria as Turkey’s offensive
against Syrian Kurdish fighters enters its fourth day.
Anadolu
news agency said Saturday the forces have arrived at the M-4 highway
that connects the Syrian towns of Manbij and Qamishli. The road is about
30 kilometers (19 miles) south of the Turkish border.
Turkey
has said it aims to push back Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units,
or YPG, which it considers terrorists for its links to a decades-long
Kurdish insurgency within its own borders.
Erdogan
said Friday Turkey won’t stop until the YPG, who forms the backbone of
the U.S.-backed ground force against the Islamic State, withdraws below a
32 kilometer (20 miles) deep line.
The
pro-life group Students for Life of America (SLA) said Friday it would
offer legal assistance to any students or health care workers whose
“conscience rights” were threatened by a new California law that requires all public universities in the state to supply students with the “abortion pill” at on-campus clinics.
California
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed the bill into law Friday.
It requires all 34 campuses in the University of California and
California State University systems to provide the abortion medication
on-campus to women who are less than 10 weeks pregnant. It is to take
effect in 2023 as long as a state commission can raise more than $10
million in private donations to pay for it.
“California
just ensured women will die in their dormitory bathrooms, bleeding out
alone from the abortion pill,” SLA President Kristan Hawkins wrote on
Twitter, reacting to Newsom's action. “The #prolifegen will not stand
for this. We will fight to protect the preborn and their mothers, as
well as the conscience rights of campus health center workers. #sb24”
“California just ensured women will die in their dormitory bathrooms, bleeding out alone from the abortion pill.” — Kristan Hawkins, president, Students for Life of America
“#SB24
in California forces all public colleges to assist with dangerous
toilet bowl abortions,” Students for Life also said on Twiiter. “If you
are a student or employee who is worried how this affects your
#consciencerights message us and we will assist you. The fight is not
over.”
Hawkins, who also heads Students for Life Action, continued her argument in a separate statement.
“Governor
Newsom’s reckless support for a new abortion pill distribution scheme
on California college and university campuses will put students’ lives
at risk and put schools at risk of lawsuits as conscience rights are
violated,” she wrote.
In addition to helping students and
healthcare workers in California, Hawkins said her organization is
looking into providing legal assistance to women in other states whose
legislatures are considering similar bills.
“Student fees
underwrite the costs of the healthcare centers on campuses, which will
now be required to distribute deadly chemical abortion pills,” Hawkins
continued. “And healthcare professionals will also be forced to hand
them out no matter the consequences to women’s health, but Students for
Life of America will make sure to connect these victims of conscience
right violations with legal help to stop the spread of a bad idea that
is only good for propping up abortion vendors like Planned Parenthood.”
Medication
abortion involves taking two pills — the first, taken at the clinic,
blocks the hormone progesterone, while the second, taken days later at
home without the supervision of a medical professional, produces a
result similar to a miscarriage.
'Protected right'
The
bill’s author, state Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, a told the Associated
Press: “Abortion is a protected right, and it is important that
everyone — including college students — have access to that right, if
they so choose."
“Abortion is a protected right, and
it is important that everyone — including college students — have access
to that right, if they so choose." — California state Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino
“After
three years of working to expand access to medication abortion at our
public universities, I'm ecstatic that #SB24 was signed into law! Today,
California stood on the right side of history by protecting and
prioritizing the right to choose,’ Levya also said in a statement. “Just
because you have a constitutional right, if you don’t have access to
that constitutional right, then it’s really no right at all. I’m tired
of women being shamed.”
'Other states ... go backward'
Newsom,
upon signing the bill, pointed to several Republican-led states,
including Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi, that have passed laws
banning abortions at around six weeks into pregnancy once a fetal
heartbeat is detected.
“As other states and the federal government
go backward, restricting reproductive freedom, in California we are
moving forward, expanding access and reaffirming a woman’s right
choose,” Newsom said at news conference Friday, according to the
Sacramento Bee. “We’re removing barriers to reproductive health --
increasing access on college campuses and using technology to modernize
how patients interact with providers.”
“As other
states and the federal government go backward, restricting reproductive
freedom, in California we are moving forward, expanding access and
reaffirming a woman’s right choose.” — California Gov. Gavin Newsom
Former
California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill last year, arguing it
was not necessary because abortion services were readily available off
campus. Newsom, a former mayor of San Francisco who became governor in
January, said the law is needed "as other states and the federal
government go backward, restricting reproductive freedom."
Other pro-life reactions
Other Religious and pro-life groups also opposed the bill.
Live Action President Lila Rose said the law "turns universities into abortion centers."
Maria
Jose Fernandez, legislative advocate for the California Catholic
Conference, said the law is "trying to limit the alternatives for
women."
"We're giving them the option to terminate a life, but
what about those who want to continue on with that pregnancy? Where is
the help for those women?" Fernandez told The Associated Press.
Bishop
Jaime Soto, president of the California Catholic Conference, implored
Catholics and other Christians in an open letter to pray for the
dissolution of SB 24 in order to shield “infants and young college-age
women from the scourge of abortion,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
The
state's Republicans voted against the measure in committee hearings. A
handful of Assembly Democrats abstained during floor debates. The
Department of Finance, under Newsom’s office, also opposed the bill,
citing a lack of resources, personnel expertise and private funds to
support a program of such “size, scope or content.”
Also Friday,
Newsom signed a law clarifying that Planned Parenthood can prescribe
birth control via teleconference without a video chat, as it can in
other states.
Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood
Affiliates of California, said the bill signings show "that California
understands reproductive health care is health care. And health care is a
human right." The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during a Friday night rally in Louisiana, saying "Nancy Pelosi hates the United States of America."
In his second rally in as many nights -- following Thursday's rally in Minneapolis -- Trump also ridiculed the ongoing impeachment inquiry spearheaded by House Democrats, whom he called "scammers and con artists,"
"They
know they can't win an election," Trump told a packed arena in Lake
Charles, La., "so they're pursuing an illegal, unconstitutional bulls---
impeachment."
"They know they can't win an election so they're pursuing an illegal, unconstitutional bulls--- impeachment." — President Trump
The president's use of the barnyard epithet drew a roar from the crowd, just as a profane joke about former President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden did a night earlier in Minnesota.
On Friday, Pelosi described Trump's Obama-Biden crack as "disgraceful,"
possibly prompting the president's Louisiana remark about the speaker.
On Friday, Trump also attacked Biden and his son Hunter Biden over their Ukrainian business dealings for
the second night in a row, accusing the media of covering up potential
Biden corruption and complaining that if any of his children were
similarly accused, the media wouldn't call the allegations
unsubstantiated — "They would be saying, 'Where's the nearest cell?'"
The
president decried the "rage-filled Democrat Party that has gone
completely insane" accusing them of waging a "nonstop battle" to
"overthrow" his presidency.
Trump also mocked ex-FBI officials and lovers Peter Strzok and Lisa Page again saying "these people are corrupt. These people are disgusting."
"This is the witch hunt," he said. "They've been trying to stop us for three years with a lot of crap."
Trump's appearance in Louisiana was scheduled to help rally Republican voters against the state's Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.
President Donald Trump introduces Louisiana Republican
gubernatorial candidates Eddie Rispone, left, and Ralph Abraham, during
his campaign rally on the eve of the Louisiana election, in Lake
Charles, La., Friday, Oct. 11, 2019. The two are running against
incumbent Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards.
"Tomorrow you will head to the polls and vote to
replace a liberal Democrat who has sold you out, John Bel Edwards, with a
great Republican governor," Trump said in his remarks, encouraging
Louisianians to get to the polls before Saturday night's big college
football matchup between unbeaten Louisiana State University and the
University of Florida or else they would feel guilty and "it will ruin
your entire afternoon."
The president was joined onstage by
both U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham and businessman Eddie Rispone, but did not
endorse either candidate in order to maximize chances that Edwards will
fall below the 50 percent vote threshold needed to avoid a runoff in
Saturday's gubernatorial "jungle primary," in which all the candidates
appear on a single ballot.
"You're not allowed to hit your
Republican opponent, you're only allowed to hit John Bel Edwards," Trump
said, extending an olive branch between the two GOP candidates, who
have been at loggerheads in the race to the governor's mansion.
The president's trip to Louisiana came one day after another fiery rally in Minneapolis, during which Trump also slammed House Democrats and their impeachment inquiry against him.
The
president touted the country's economy and boasted about the truce
reached with China just hours before he landed in Louisiana, which
stipulates that China will purchase up to $50 billion worth of
agricultural goods from American farmers and also will postpone tariffs
on Chinese goods that were originally set to take effect next week.
"I
just made a great China deal today for energy, for the farmers, for the
banks... I want to tell you, I got China to order a lot!"
He did not mention the growing issue of censorship in the U.S. over ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
"We've
ended the war on American energy, and with your help, right here in
Louisiana, the United States is now the number one producer of oil and
natural gas anywhere on the planet!" Trump also boasted.
He also slammed Edwards for the state's tax hike, which was passed with Republican support.
"You
are going to fire your Democratic governor who has done a lousy job and
send a great Republican to the governor's mansion," Trump said.
Other
top Republicans, including Vice President Pence and Donald Trump Jr.,
have paid visits to the state, which Trump won by nearly 20 percentage
points in 2016.
Neither Abraham nor Rispone has been able to break
away as the top competitor, even as Rispone poured $11 million of his
own personal wealth into the campaign. Party leaders' efforts to keep
the men from fighting each other have failed, raising concerns the
backbiting could wound both GOP contenders and help Edwards. Republicans
blame attacks among their own candidates for helping to elect Edwards
four years ago.
Edwards isn't the type of liberal, anti-Trump Democrat with whom the president usually clashes.
Louisiana's
governor is an anti-abortion, pro-gun West Point graduate who avoids
criticizing Trump, talks about his strong rapport with the White House
and calls the impeachment inquiry a distraction for Washington.
"He's
100 percent going to drop the second Amendment ... John Bel
Edwards will not protect your second amendment," Trump told the crowd.
While
Edwards' efforts to keep the president at bay in the governor's race
have been unsuccessful, the Democratic incumbent isn't complaining about
the rallies. Instead, he has downplayed them, calling it unsurprising
that Trump backs members of his own party in the "hyperpartisan"
environment of Washington. He said he would continue to "work well" with
the president and focus on his own, bipartisan approach to governing.
"When
my opponents realized just how much support my campaign had from the
people of Louisiana, they started calling in help from forces in
Washington, D.C.," Edwards said. "My opponents are obsessed with
political partisanship because the only way they think they can win is
to divide the state of Louisiana."
Republicans nationally have
targeted Edwards for ouster since his longshot election victory four
years ago. But work to unify around one major contender failed, with the
state's top-tier, well-known GOP officials passing on the race.
Trump
was also joined on stage by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who said: "I told
you, Donald J. Trump loves Louisiana like the devil loves sin."
He
also invited the Eastbank All-Stars, the Little League baseball
championship team that joined him at the White House earlier in the day
and then flew on Air Force One to the rally, to come on stage in
Louisiana. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A handful of conservative organizations are extending a hand to
others ahead of the nation’s first ever pro-life summit. The one day
event will take place next year and aims to recruit and train pro-life
activists of all ages.
Students for Life America, Live Action, Alliance Defending Freedom
and the Heritage Foundation are hoping to grow a grassroots movement in
2020. The summit titled ‘Casting a Vision for a Post-Roe America’ aims
to advance the pro-life agenda by recruiting more allies. The event will
feature prominent Republican speakers such as the vice president’s
daughter, Charlotte Pence, and former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.
The conference will focus on ways to encourage pro-life values and elect
politicians who will prioritize pro-life laws. They will also discuss
strategies for overturning the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case.
Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins is set to take the stage,
where she hopes to strike common ground with people on the other side
of the aisle. Hawkins recently voiced her support for abolishing
abortion and is encouraging fathers to take care of the babies they help
create.
“After the Alabama and Georgia pro-life laws passed, pro-abortion
feminists took to the internet saying that if abortion is gonna be
illegal, men need to step up and be responsible — Amen sisters,” she
said. “Despite what you may have heard, men play an important role in
abortion.”
Hawkins went on to say a man’s primary job is to protect his family,
which she claims begins with helping the woman he impregnates take care
of their child. The SFLA leader said encouraging men to fulfill their
fatherly duties may help reduce the number of abortions.
The 2020 National Pro-Life Summit will take place in Washington D.C. next January.
President Trump gave One America News a shout-out on Thursday morning
for our “fair coverage” and “brilliant reporting.” The president
thanked the network in a tweet, saying “it is appreciated by many people
trying so hard to find a new, consistent and powerful voice.”
Thank you to @OANN
One America News for your fair coverage and brilliant reporting. It is
appreciated by many people trying so hard to find a new, consistent and
powerful VOICE! See you tonight at the Big Rally in Minneapolis.
He added “See you tonight at the big rally in Minneapolis” in a nod
to our commitment to provide full coverage of all of his rallies.
President Trump also tweeted about Fox News on Thursday, saying the
media company “is so different than it used to be.” He criticized a new
Fox poll, which claims 51 percent of Americans want him impeached. The
president said he has never had a good Fox poll since the day he was
elected.
From the day I announced I was running for President, I have NEVER had a good @FoxNews Poll. Whoever their Pollster is, they suck. But @FoxNews
is also much different than it used to be in the good old days. With
people like Andrew Napolitano, who wanted to be a Supreme….
He went on to say that Fox News has recently been going downhill,
suggesting that contributors like Andrew Napolitano, Shepard Smith and
Donna Brazile have changed the channel.
“Fox just doesn’t deliver for us anymore,” reiterated the president.
Shepard Smith was one of the only reporters at Fox to publicly
criticize the president’s Ukraine call. Donna Brazile, a former CNN
anchor, was hired by Fox in an effort to shift the network’s coverage to
a more moderate stance.
Management
at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Michigan had a sudden change of
heart this week after initially canceling a plan by local Republicans to
hold a “Trump watch party” at the location because of unspecified
“complaints.”
Perhaps helping speed the reversal: Chairwoman Ronna
McDaniel of the Republican National Committee – a former chairwoman of
the Michigan Republican Party whose grandfather was a Michigan governor –
learned the event had been called off and alerted her 376,000 Twitter
followers.
"Just learned @BWWings cancelled a Michigan viewing party for @realDonaldTrump’s
rally," McDaniel wrote in a since-delated post, according to the
Washington Examiner. " ... tell them the left's cancel culture has gone
too far."
Soon the restaurant’s location in Howell, Mich., and the
corporate office in Minneapolis were receiving calls and messages from
Republicans, the Examiner wrote -- and officials decided to allow the Trump watch party to proceed.
A representative for the chain later told the Examiner that the cancellation had been “based on a misunderstanding.”
“The
group has in fact previously hosted events at the restaurant without
incident,” the statement said. “The franchise owner apologizes for the
misunderstanding.”
McDaniel later tweeted a "thank you" message to the chain.
"Thank
you @BBWings for letting the watch party proceed as planned," McDaniel
wrote, "and thank you to everyone who expressed their support for
@realDonaldTrump!
Howell is about 55 miles northwest of Detroit.
Hundreds of protesters outside President Trump’s rally in Minneapolis
Thursday night set fire to Make America Great Again hats and other
memorabilia in an effort to show their defiance to the current
administration before police broke up the crowd, reports said.
There were reports that multiple protesters were arrested. One report indicated that protesters threw urine.
Cell
phone video posted by Star Tribune reporter Chao Xiong showed Trump
supporters walking through a crowd of protesters outside the Target
Center in Minneapolis, shouting, “Lock him up” and “Shame on you.”
A
reporter for The Washington Post posted a video on Twitter that
appeared to show a protester punch a Trump supporter in the back of the
head as he left the rally. The crowd can be heard shouting “Nazi scum!
Off our streets!” The video shows a Trump supporter being followed by
protesters before someone calls out “There’s a Nazi over here,”
prompting the attack.
The apparent Trump supporter was also slapped and pushed before eventually running to safety.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that police deployed pepper spray.
Police
officers on horseback and bicycles formed a protective line in front of
the arena, according to The Tribune. Officers with riot batons and
shields also maneuvered through the crowd of protesters. The Post
captured video of one Hispanic family who wore pro-Trump clothing
departing from the rally as one protester shouted “He hates you!” The
mother repeated “Mexicanos for Trump!" as she left the scene.
Trump
arrived in Minnesota as polls show Americans' support rising for
impeachment. Democrats claim he used his office to pressure Ukraine into
investigating the Bidens for his political gain. Trump insists that he
was just making sure the country was doing its part to weed out
corruption.
Trump was joined by Vice President Mike Pence, who had
a separate schedule of appearances in the state Trump is trying to tip
his way next year. CLICK HERE FOR THE ALL-NEW FOXBUSINESS.COM
Trump praised police officers during his rally. USA Today reported that Minneapolis police were not allowed to attend the rally in their uniforms, so they wore, "Cops For Trump" t-shirts. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
