from the road , which is a key strategic asset in controlling the city . Zakaria Malahifji , an official in Aleppo - based rebel brigade Fastaqim , issued a statement to the press . “ Today the withdrawal is supposed to happen , with aid entering tomorrow .
A rebel commander with the Failaq al Sham group , who requested anonymity , told Reuters that most of the Islamic State insurgents in Jarablus had withdrawn , some of them surrendering . A second rebel commander estimated up to 50 percent of the town was now under control of the Turkish - backed rebels . " Daesh fighters have withdrawnconflict.yield.nafrom several villages on the outskirts of Jarablus and are heading south toward the city of al Bab , " the Failaq al Sham commander said . Many of the rebels were from Jarablus itself and were jubilant over what they saw as a long overdue intervention . Amateur video footage from one rebel source seen by Reuters showed little sign of heavy fighting in the town center , suggesting Islamic State had pulled out with little resistance .
John McCain ( AP Photo / Ralph Freso ) -- John McCain said President Obama was “ directly responsible ” for the terror attack in Orlando due to his failure to combat the rise of the Islamic State terror group . From Mike DeBonis : The Arizona senator answered a question about the debate over gun control by citing Obama ’s culpability for the attack through his foreign policy : “ Barack Obama is directly responsible for it , because when he pulled everybody out of Iraq , al - Qaeda went to Syria , became ISIS , and ISIS is what it is today thanks to Barack Obama ’s failures . ” When pressed by a reporter on the claim that Obama was “ directly ” responsible , McCain reiterated his point — that Obama should not have withdrawnconflict.yield.retreatcombat troops from Iraq . “ He pulled everybody out of Iraq , and I predicted at the time that ISIS would go unchecked , and there would be attacks on the United States of America , ” he said . “ It ’s a matter of record , so he is directly responsible . ”
Ukraine , which accuses Moscow of continuing to stir violence , has its part to play too . But despite numerous rounds of talks , there is little progress on either side . The violence , albeit at a much lower intensity , continues ; elections have n't been held in the breakaway eastern regions , Kiev has not granted them special status , and both sides accuse each other of using heavy weaponry meant to have been withdrawnconflict.yield.retreat. The Kremlin 's tactic internationally is to say Kiev is the chief cause of the impasse . With no sign of a breakthrough , friendly EU member states might start to do the same , say some diplomats .