Russian forces deploy at Syrian border under new accord
Russian military police began patrols on part of the Syrian border Oct. 23, quickly moving to implement an accord with Turkey that divvies up control of northeastern Syria. The Kremlin told Kurdish fighters to pull back from the entire frontier or else face being “steamrolled” by Turkish forces.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan echoed those warnings, saying his military would resume its offensive against Kurdish fighters if the new arrangements are not carried out.
Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached an agreement Oct. 22 that would transform the map of northeast Syria, installing their forces along the border and filling the void left by the abrupt withdrawal of American troops. The Kurdish fighters, who once relied on the U.S. forces as protection from Turkey, were given a deadline of next Tuesday evening to pull back from border areas they have not already left.
Claiming success, U.S. President Donald Trump said the cease-fire between Turkey and the Syrian Kurds will be permanent. He said nearly all U.S. troops will be leaving Syria but some will remain to safeguard oil fields now in Kurdish hands.
“We’ve saved the lives of many, many Kurds,” he said, although Trump essentially opened the way for Turkey’s Oct. 9 invasion of northeastern Syria when he ordered U.S. troops to step aside.
Iraq, meanwhile, closed the door on the U.S. military’s attempt to keep the troops leaving Syria on its soil. Iraqi Defense Minister Najah al-Shammari told The Associated Press that those troops were only “transiting” Iraq and would leave within four weeks, heading either to Kuwait, Qatar or the United States. AP
Raytheon: Third quarter earnings snapshot
Raytheon on Oct. 24 reported third-quarter profit of $860 million.
On a per-share basis, the Waltham, Mass.,-based company said it had profit of $3.08.
The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $2.85 per share.
The defense contractor posted revenue of $7.45 billion in the period, also surpassing Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $7.26 billion.
Raytheon expects full-year earnings to be $11.70 to $11.80 per share, with revenue in the range of $29.1 billion to $29.4 billion.
Raytheon shares have climbed 33 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has risen 20 percent. The stock has risen slightly more than 6 percent in the last 12 months. AP
Northrop Grumman: Third quarter earnings snapshot
Northrop Grumman on Oct. 24 reported third-quarter earnings of $933 million.
On a per-share basis, the Falls Church, Va.,-based company said it had net income of $5.49.
The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $4.74 per share.
The defense contractor posted revenue of $8.48 billion in the period, which missed Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $8.55 billion.
Northrop Grumman expects full-year revenue of $34 billion.
Northrop Grumman shares have increased 44 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has increased 20 percent. The stock has increased 16 percent in the last 12 months. AP