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WASHINGTON — Secretary ofState Rex W. Tillerson has decidedto lift all human rights conditionson a major sale of F-16 fighter jetsand other arms to Bahrain in aneffort to end a rift between theUnited States and a critical Mid-dle East ally, according to admin-istration and congressional offi-cials involved in the debate.

Mr. Tillerson’s decision comesas the Trump administrationlooks to bolster Sunni Arab statesin the Middle East and find newways to confront Iran in thePersian Gulf. Bahrain is a keyplayer in that effort, and home tothe United States Navy’s FifthFleet, which patrols the strategicwaterway.

But the decision to drop the hu-man rights assurances as a condi-tion of the sale is bound to be readby Saudi Arabia and other statesin the region as a sign that the newadministration plans to ease itsdemands to protect and respectpolitical dissidents and pro-testers. The conditions on the saleof 19 new American fighter jets,worth $2.8 billion, had been im-posed by the Obama administra-tion amid continuing concernsabout the tiny Sunni monarchy’scrackdown on majority Shiites.

The State Department declinedto comment on queries about Mr.Tillerson’s decision, which hasbeen discussed at length withsome members of Congress butnot yet publicly announced.

The State Department onWednesday notified Congress ofits intent to proceed with the salewithout the conditions, said MicahJohnson, a spokeswoman for theSenate Foreign Relations Com-mittee. Congress now has two re-view periods to examine the saleand raise any objections.

U.S. to RemoveRights ChecksOn Arms Sale

By DAVID E. SANGERand ERIC SCHMITT

Continued on Page A6

WASHINGTON — Senatorsleading the investigation into Rus-sian interference in the Novemberelection pledged on Wednesday toconduct an aggressive inquiry, in-cluding an examination of any tiesto President Trump, as theysought to distance themselvesfrom the flagging efforts in theHouse.

In a conspicuous show of bi-partisanship during a fractioustime at the Capitol, the top Repub-lican and Democrat on the SenateIntelligence Committee vowed toforge ahead by interviewing keyplayers connected to Mr. Trumpand pressing intelligence agen-cies to provide all relevant infor-mation.

But their display of collegialityseemed intended primarily as acontrast to the explosive and oftenbewildering statements in recentdays from the Republican chair-man of the House IntelligenceCommittee, Representative DevinNunes of California, whose per-ceived closeness with the TrumpWhite House has raised doubtsabout his ability to conduct an im-partial investigation.

2 Senators VowFirmer InquiryAs House FlailsBy MATT FLEGENHEIMER

and EMMARIE HUETTEMAN

Senators Richard M. Burr,right, and Mark Warner.

GABRIELLA DEMCZUK FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Continued on Page A21

NEWARK — Two former alliesof Gov. Chris Christie were sen-tenced to prison on Wednesdayfor their role in closing accesslanes to the George WashingtonBridge as political paybackagainst a New Jersey mayor, a keychapter in the plot that derailedMr. Christie’s presidential aspira-tions and then dimmed hischances to become PresidentTrump’s pick for vice president.

Bridget Anne Kelly, 44, who wasa top aide to Mr. Christie, was sen-tenced to 18 months in prison,while Bill Baroni, 45, who servedas deputy executive director atthe Port Authority of New Yorkand New Jersey, was sentenced totwo years in prison.

The scandal, which becameknown as Bridgegate, was asbrazen as it was bizarre. In an ef-fort to punish Mayor Mark J.Sokolich of Fort Lee, a Democrat,for not supporting Mr. Christie’sre-election bid and his desire tocultivate bipartisan supportahead of a presidential run, mem-bers of the governor’s administra-tion schemed with Port Authorityofficials to trigger a massive traf-fic jam in Fort Lee. Over five daysin September 2013, the gridlockensnared emergency vehicles,school buses and commuters,even as Mr. Baroni ignored Mr.Sokolich’s messages seeking anexplanation.

The plan was put into motion byMs. Kelly’s now infamous email toDavid Wildstein, Mr. Baroni’s topdeputy at the Port Authority, whopleaded guilty for his role in the

2 Christie AlliesGoing to Prison

In Bridge CaseBy NICK CORASANITI

Continued on Page A29

LONDON — On a day thatblended dull ritual with undeni-able historical import, Britainformally began its departurefrom the European Union withthe delivery of a letter to Brus-sels, followed by lofty words fromPrime Minister Theresa May inParliament.

Two years of grinding divorcenegotiations now begin, with theoutcome unclear, except that thetalks are certain to be con-tentious and spiteful — and thatthe only sure winners will belawyers and trade negotiators.

For the first time, the Euro-pean bloc is losing a member, notto mention its second-largest

economy. The multilateral archi-tecture that has shaped theWestern world since the after-math of World War II has taken asevere blow, and as the letterwas delivered on Wednesday,questions abounded aboutwhether this pivot toward nation-alism and self-interest repre-sented the beginning of a morevolatile global era.

When Britons voted last Juneto leave the European Union, thechampions of “Brexit” arguedthat the country, with its exit,

was at the front edge of a largerpopulist wave. Months later, theelection of Donald J. Trump aspresident of the United Statesonly deepened the feeling that ananti-establishment political con-tagion was sweeping acrossWestern democracies, upendingthe established order. Britain, theargument went, would be a win-ner in this new era.

Few people predicted theBritish exit, and fewer still pre-dicted Mr. Trump’s victory. Butfew predicted where things standnow, either: The European Un-ion, if still ailing and dysfunc-tional, is far from dead. Populistparties are sinking in the polls inGermany and underperformed in

Pillars of West Shaken, Not Shattered, by ‘Brexit’By STEVEN ERLANGER

NEWS ANALYSIS

Prime Minister Theresa May signing the letter beginning Britain’s exit from the European Union.POOL PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER FURLONG

Alliance Takes a Hit But It’s Not Dead Yet

Continued on Page A11

For years, the Obama adminis-tration prodded, cajoled and be-seeched China to make commit-ments to limit the use of fossil fu-els to try to slow the global effectsof climate change.

President Barack Obama andother American officials saw thepledges from both Beijing andWashington as crucial: China isthe largest emitter of greenhousegases, followed by the UnitedStates.

In the coming years, the oppo-site dynamic is poised to play out.President Trump’s signing of anexecutive order on Tuesday aimedat undoing many of the Obama ad-ministration’s climate changepolicies flips the roles of the twopowers.

Now, it is far likelier that theworld will see China pushing theUnited States to meet its commit-ments and try to live up to the let-ter and spirit of the 2015 ParisAgreement, even if Mr. Trump hassignaled he has no intention of do-

ing so.“They’ve set the direction they

intend to go in the next five years,”Barbara Finamore, a senior law-yer and Asia director at theNatural Resources Defense Coun-cil, based in New York, said of

China. “It’s clear they intend todouble down on bringing downtheir reliance on coal and increas-ing their use of renewable energy.”

“China wants to take over therole of the U.S. as a climate leader,and they’ve baked it into theirfive-year plans,” she added, refer-ring to the economic developmentblueprints drawn up by the Chi-nese government.

Even before the presidentialcampaign last year, Mr. Trumphad made statements consistent

As Trump Backtracks, China Seizes Chance to Lead on ClimateBy EDWARD WONG

A solar farm in the Xinjiang region of China. By 2030, China hopes 20 percent of its energy will come from renewable sources.GILLES SABRIÉ FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Setting Bold Goals onGreen Power andPollution Curbs

Continued on Page A14

F.D.A. NOMINEE Scott Gottlieb’s long career in the drug and health careindustry has raised questions about conflicts of interest. PAGE A13

The days of power and wealth are gonefor the Kuomintang in Taiwan, wherethe party has lost its footing. PAGE A4

Seeking Relevance in Taiwan

Ivory’s boom may be over. Its price hassunk, reflecting less demand and betteradvocacy, as in Kenya, above. PAGE A8

INTERNATIONAL A4-11

Some Good News for Elephants

The rising YouTube star JoJo Siwa, 13,with her signature hair bows, is notafraid to take on mean girls. PAGE D1

THURSDAY STYLES D1-8

Girl Power Gets a New Look

A $4 billion deal for a Chinese companyto invest in a building owned by theKushner family fell apart. PAGE A25

NEW YORK A25-29

Kushner Tower Deal Fails

North Carolina legislators are said tohave reached a deal with the governorover the state “bathroom bill.” PAGE A22

NATIONAL A12-22

Transgender Bathroom DealNearly 100 letters from Susan B. Antho-ny and others have come to light, in acollection that shows the networks thatdrove a movement. PAGE C1

ARTS C1-8

New Clues From Suffragists

Consumers and stocks may be feeling apostelection boom, but the economicdata doesn’t tell the same story. PAGE B1

BUSINESS DAY B1-9

Looking for the ‘Trump Bump’

JPMorgan Chase limited its display adsto 5,000 preapproved websites. It foundthe damage was minimal. PAGE B1

Effectiveness of Online AdsU.S.A. Gymnastics needs to do more toprotect its athletes from sexualpredators, Juliet Macur writes. PAGE B10

Inadequate Response to Abuse

The act of cutting down the net afterwinning a championship game is notwithout its dangers. PAGE B10

SPORTSTHURSDAY B10-14

A Risky Basketball Tradition

Gail Collins PAGE A31

EDITORIAL, OP-ED A30-31

William McPherson, 84, won late-lifeacclaim for a rueful essay describinghis descent into poverty. PAGE B16

Pulitzer-Winning Book Critic

William Powell, 66, was angry at the warin Vietnam when he began his mani-festo, which he later rejected. PAGE B16

OBITUARIES B15-16

‘Anarchist Cookbook’ Writer

A DAUGHTER’S ROLE Ivanka Trump, the elder daughter of PresidentTrump, is becoming an official government employee. PAGE A19

BEIRUT, Lebanon — TheUnited States launched moreairstrikes in Yemen this monththan during all of last year. In Syr-ia, it has airlifted local forces tofront-line positions and has beenaccused of killing civilians inairstrikes. In Iraq, Americantroops and aircraft are central insupporting an urban offensive inMosul, where airstrikes killedscores of people on March 17.

Two months after the inaugura-tion of President Trump, indica-tions are mounting that the UnitedStates military is deepening its in-volvement in a string of complexwars in the Middle East that lackclear endgames.

Rather than representing anyformal new Trump doctrine onmilitary action, however, Ameri-can officials say that what is hap-pening is a shift in military deci-sion-making that began underPresident Barack Obama. On dis-play are some of the first indica-tions of how complicated militaryoperations are continuing under apresident who has vowed to makethe military “fight to win.”

In an interview on Wednesday,Gen. Joseph L. Votel, the com-mander of United States CentralCommand, said the newprocedures made it easier for

commanders in the field to call inairstrikes without waiting for per-mission from more senior officers.

“We recognized the nature ofthe fight was going to change andthat we had to ensure that authori-ties were down to the right leveland that we empowered the on-scene commander,” General Votelsaid. He was speaking specificallyabout discussions that he said be-gan in November about how thefights in Syria and Iraq against theIslamic State were reaching criti-cal phases in Mosul and Raqqa.

Concerns about the recent ac-cusations of civilian casualties arebringing some of these details tolight. But some of the shifts havealso involved small increases inthe deployment and use of Ameri-can forces or, in Yemen, resumingaid to allies that had previouslybeen suspended.

And they coincide with the set-tling in of a president who hasvowed to intensify the fightagainst extremists abroad, andwhose budgetary and rhetoricalpriorities have indicated a mili-tary-first approach even as he hasproposed cuts in diplomaticspending.

To some critics, that suggeststhat much more change is to

U.S. War Footprint Grows,With No Endgame in Sight

Concerns That No One Is Planning for Peace as Americans Expand Mideast Role

By BEN HUBBARD and MICHAEL R. GORDON

Continued on Page A6

Late Edition

VOL. CLXVI . . . No. 57,552 © 2017 The New York Times Company NEW YORK, THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

Today, sunshine mixing with someclouds, high 54. Tonight, cloudy, pe-riodic rain late, low 42. Tomorrow,cloudy, periodic rain, chillier, high44. Weather map is on Page A24.

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