Pence makes surprise Iraq visit

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, served turkey and dressing to hundreds of soldiers during an unannounced visit to Iraq over the weekend. In addition to delivering an early Thanksgiving message at Al Asad Air Base, Pence also assured the president of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan that the United States still supports the Kurds despite having withdrawn its troops from northern Syria.

How is the United States helping the Kurds? Hours after Pence’s meeting, the Pentagon announced that U.S. troops and Kurdish commandos carried out a joint operation against Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. Coalition officials said they captured dozens of militants. It was the biggest joint mission since President Donald Trump ordered U.S. forces out of northern Syria. That move opened the door for Turkey’s cross-border assault on Kurdish forces.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report on what the U.S. withdrawal from Syria means for the region.