US abandoning Kurds in Syria

[Maladict]

This is bad.

US to let Turkish forces move into Syria, dumping Kurdish allies

White House reveals policy shift, which follows conversation between Trump and Erdoğan

Julian Borger in Washington and Bethan McKernan in Istanbul

Mon 7 Oct 2019 11.37 BST
First published on Mon 7 Oct 2019 05.42 BST

The White House has given the green light to a Turkish offensive into northern Syria, moving US forces out of the area in an abrupt foreign policy change that will in effect abandon Washington's longtime military partners, the Kurds.

Kurdish forces have spearheaded the campaign against Islamic State in the region, but the policy swerve, after a phone conversation between Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday, means Turkey would take custody of captured Isis fighters, the White House said.

It has also raised fears of fresh fighting between Turkey and Kurdish forces in Syria's complex war now the US no longer acts as a buffer between the two sides.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Monday morning that their US partners had already begun withdrawing troops from areas along Turkey's border. Footage aired on Kurdish news agency Hawar purportedly showed US armoured vehicles evacuating key positions near the towns of Ras al-Ayn and Tal Abyad in the border region. Erdogan himself also confirmed the development in remarks to reporters on Monday morning in Ankara.

The SDF spokesman, Mustafa Bali, accused the US of leaving the area to "turn into a war zone", adding that the SDF would "defend north-east Syria at all costs".

A statement from the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said that Ankara had "supported the territorial integrity of Syria since the beginning of the crisis and will continue to do so ... [We are] determined to ensure survivability and security of Turkey by clearing the region from terrorists. We will contribute to bringing safety, peace and stability to Syria."

The decision represents the latest in a series of erratic moves by Trump, who is fighting impeachment at home, apparently taken without consultation with, or knowledge of, US diplomats dealing with Syria, or the UK and France, the US's main international partners in the country.

Brett McGurk, a former US special envoy for the fight against Isis, said: "The White House statement tonight on Syria after Trump spoke with Erdoğan demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of anything happening on the ground.

McGurk pointed out that the US is not holding any Isis detainees. They are being held by the SDF "which Trump just served up to Turkey".

"Turkey has neither the intent, desire, nor capacity to manage 60,000 detainees, which State and [Pentagon inspectors general] warn is the nucleus for a resurgent Isis. Believing otherwise is a reckless gamble with our national security," McGurk warned on Twitter.

The US and Turkey came to an agreement in August to create a "safe zone" in northern Syria, by which the US-backed Kurdish-led SDF would pull back from the border.

The safe zone deal was due to forestall a Turkish military offensive which has been threatened since Trump announced last December the 2,000 US special forces stationed in Syria would leave. Ankara sees the SDF as indistinguishable from Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey and views it as a serious security threat.

In the White House statement issued just before 11 pm on Sunday, however, that agreement was not mentioned.

"Today, President Donald J Trump spoke with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey by telephone," it said. "Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into northern Syria. The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the Isis territorial 'caliphate', will no longer be in the immediate area."

The statement suggested that in return for US acquiescence in a Turkish offensive, Erdoğan had assured Trump that Turkey would take over the detention of Isis militants captured by the SDF, on the battlefield.

The custody of Europeans and other foreign fighters has long been one of Trump's preoccupations, and he has lambasted European governments for not taking responsibility for their own nationals in Isis' ranks.


"The US government has pressed France, Germany, and other European nations, from which many captured Isis fighters came, to take them back, but they did not want them and refused," the White House statement continued.

"The US will not hold them for what could be many years and great cost to the United States taxpayer. Turkey will now be responsible for all Isis fighters in the area captured over the past two years in the wake of the defeat of the territorial caliphate by the United States."

Syria experts have warned that the US abandonment of the SDF would lead to another, new front in the eight-year Syrian conflict, and could push the Kurds into seeking an arrangement with the Assad regime in Damascus. The Kurdish leadership has long been in talks with Damascus to ensure a level of Kurdish autonomy in north eastern Syria in the event of a US pullout.

Two weeks ago, at the UN general assembly, the US special envoy for the global coalition to defeat Isis, James Jeffrey, stressed that the US had an agreement with Turkey on a safe zone, in recognition of Ankara's security concerns, that obviated the need for an Turkish incursion.

"We listen to the Turks' concerns. We try to respond to them when we can," Jeffrey said. "And we have made it clear to Turkey at every level that any unilateral operation is not going to lead to an improvement in anyone's security – not Turkey's, not the people in the north-east, not the people around the world who feel threatened by Daesh [Isis], which is the basic purpose for our US military being in the north-east in the first place."

Ankara says the planned safe zone could allow up to two million Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey to return, although international observers and the SDF say such a move would amount to demographic engineering. Turkish presidency spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said on Monday that Turkey has "no interest in occupation or changing demographics".

Another outcome of the Trump-Erdoğan call is that the Turkish leader is expected to visit the White House next month.

[Tamas]

Let's face it, Erdogan had way more money to offer to Trump and his family.

[The Minsky Moment]

A self-proclaimed tough guy who likes big splashy construction projects, has contempt for democracy and the rule of law, regularly attacks the central bank over high interest rates, threatens journalists, and abuses his official authority to target political rivals?  What's there not to like?

[frunk]

Looks like the US is going isolationist, while ratcheting up our defense spending to ever higher levels.  I'm sure it will make sense to everyone once the army is rebranded the Southern Border Protection Force.

[Grey Fox]

Not to defend the undefendable but the Kurds were always going to get abandoned.

[Syt]

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
·
1h
The United States was supposed to be in Syria for 30 days, that was many years ago. We stayed and got deeper and deeper into battle with no aim in sight. When I arrived in Washington, ISIS was running rampant in the area. We quickly defeated 100% of the ISIS Caliphate, including capturing thousands of ISIS fighters, mostly from Europe. But Europe did not want them back, they said you keep them USA! I said "NO, we did you a great favor and now you want us to hold them in U.S. prisons at tremendous cost. They are yours for trials." They again said "NO," thinking, as usual, that the U.S. is always the "sucker," on NATO, on Trade, on everything. The Kurds fought with us, but were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so. They have been fighting Turkey for decades. I held off this fight for almost 3 years, but it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home. WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN. Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out, and what they want to do with the captured ISIS fighters in their "neighborhood." They all hate ISIS, have been enemies for years. We are 7000 miles away and will crush ISIS again if they come anywhere near us!

[Tamas]

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
·
1h
The United States was supposed to be in Syria for 30 days, that was many years ago. We stayed and got deeper and deeper into battle with no aim in sight. When I arrived in Washington, ISIS was running rampant in the area. We quickly defeated 100% of the ISIS Caliphate, including capturing thousands of ISIS fighters, mostly from Europe. But Europe did not want them back, they said you keep them USA! I said "NO, we did you a great favor and now you want us to hold them in U.S. prisons at tremendous cost. They are yours for trials." They again said "NO," thinking, as usual, that the U.S. is always the "sucker," on NATO, on Trade, on everything. The Kurds fought with us, but were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so. They have been fighting Turkey for decades. I held off this fight for almost 3 years, but it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home. WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN. Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out, and what they want to do with the captured ISIS fighters in their "neighborhood." They all hate ISIS, have been enemies for years. We are 7000 miles away and will crush ISIS again if they come anywhere near us!

It is so convenient to entirely ignore what the issue is.

[Habbaku]

Lindsey Graham is having a little freakout over this, so at least one good thing is coming from it.

[frunk]

Maybe the Lindsay Suckup switch has been turned to off.  I'm sure it'll get fixed soon.

[Habbaku]

Graham does have a few issues that he's dedicated to. Namely, keeping US troops everywhere possible, good or bad.

[The Brain]

that the U.S. is always the "sucker," on NATO, on Trade, on everything.

I don't know about that, but it's certainly always a moran.

[Syt]

Well, at least Trump shared what drove his decision, the State Department's FOX News's assessment

[Grinning_Colossus]

I hope the people of Diyarbakir, Ankara, and Istanbul will benefit from democratic confederalism one day.

Also, I know I'm channeling Psellus here, but let them go. Let the Turkish economy stagnate. Support Gulenism and whoever is left among the secular generals. Let Georgia and Armenia into NATO instead. Support Greek claims and Rojava. Time for some rollback.

[Syt]

MEOWTF?


https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1181232249821388801

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I've done before!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT!

[Malthus]

MEOWTF?


https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1181232249821388801

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I've done before!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT!

Can Trump be: Ottoman Empire?