TODAY IN HISTORY
February 18, 1229: The Sixth Crusade ends after a bizarre sequence of events including the excommunication of its leader, Holy Roman Emperor (and King of Jerusalem by marriage) Frederick II Hohenstaufen. Going all the way back to his coronation as “King of the Romans” in 1212, Frederick had repeatedly promised to go on Crusade only to flake out over and over again, until Pope Gregory IX finally excommunicated him in 1227. Frederick led the Crusade anyway (despite papal opposition) and actually wound up regaining control of the city of Jerusalem via negotiation, though the terms (agreeing to leave the city unfortified, for example) made it a paper victory only.
February 18, 1878: Members of the Jesse Evans Gang murder businessman John Tunstall in Lincoln County, New Mexico, sparking what became known as the “Lincoln County War.” Tunstall’s gang, the “Lincoln County Regulators,” retaliated for the killing by murdering county Sheriff William Brady and the festivities continued from there. The “war” lasted until the “Battle of Lincoln” in July and is today remembered in part for having launched the career of the most famous of the Regulators, outlaw Billy the Kid.
MIDDLE EAST
SYRIA
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the US military is in the process of withdrawing all US forces—said to number around 1000 personnel—from Syria. This is only confirming something that’s been reported for weeks and that had become clear in recent days as the US has been turning over key bases to the Syrian military. The full withdrawal may take upwards of two more months to complete. There are apparently concerns within the administration about a resumption of the conflict between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces group after the US leaves, so in between starting new regional wars (see below) US officials may try to speed up the implementation of the SDF integration deal over the next few weeks.
