In parallel, House Dems now want to subpoena Ambassador Gordon Sondland after the deposition was blocked by the White House. With Nancy Pelosi leading the charge against President Donald Trump, former veep Joe Biden in the line of fire over the Achilles of impropriety has become a fresh diversionary target.
Even as this drama plays out in DC, President Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has taken everyone by surprise and even downright shock. In a typical and intrepid Trump manoeuvre, he stunned the capital with his move. The backdrop being a new poll in which most Americans back the impeachment probe, not that Trump himself is rattled. On Tuesday, Trump changed the dynamic again, inviting Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks after threatening with deep economic sanctions.
Meanwhile, a Syrian defector has revealed unprecedented atrocities committed by the Assad regime, practitioner of machinery of death and torture in DC. American allies in Syria claim that they have been stabbed in the back.
CNN reported that Trump vigorously defended on Monday his decision to withdraw US troops from northern Syria ahead of a planned invasion of the region by Turkey, even as his Republican allies in both the Senate and House vehemently criticized the move.
In his first public comments since news broke early Monday of the troop withdrawal, Trump said he understood the concerns raised by his fellow Republicans, but added that it was time to fulfill his campaign promise to bring the troops home.
"We want to bring our troops back home and I got elected on that," Trump said during a news conference Monday. "I fully understand both sides but I promised to bring our troops home."
Separately, a US official told Fox News the US military no longer will allow Turkish flights in Syria along the border with coalition aircraft and no longer will share intelligence from drone feeds in the region with President Ergodan's forces.
( With inputs from IANS )