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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 18 OctOber 2019
he welcomed the cease- Iraqi border, though the Brett McGurk, the former
fire but wanted to know agreement did not define civilian head of the admin-
what America's role in the the extent of the zone. Turk- istration's U.S.-led counter-IS
region would be and why ish forces currently control campaign, wrote on Twitter
Turkey was facing no con- about a quarter of that that Thursday's deal was a
sequences for its invasion. length, captured in the gift to the Turks.
"Further, the cease-fire past nine days. "The US just ratified Turkey's
does not change the fact The rest is held by the Kurd- plan to effectively extend
that America has aban- ish-led forces or by the Syr- its border 30km into Syria
doned an ally," he said on ian government military, with no ability to meaning-
the Senate floor. backed by Russia, which fully influence facts on the
It was not clear whether the the Kurds invited to move ground," he wrote, adding
deal means the U.S. military in to shield them from the that the arrangement was
will play a role in enabling Turks. None of those parties "non-implementable."
or enforcing the cease-fire. has much reason to let Turk- Danielle Pletka, vice presi-
Pence said the U.S. would ish forces into the areas. dent for foreign and de-
"facilitate" the Kurds' pull- Ankara has long argued the fense policy studies at the
out, but he did not say if Kurdish fighters are nothing American Enterprise Insti-
that would include the use more than an extension of tute, tweeted, "This is a re-
of American troops. the Kurdistan Workers Party, spite while we surrender
The Pentagon had no im- or PKK, which has waged a to Turkish domination of
mediate comment. guerrilla campaign inside Northeast Syria."
Continued from Front The Kurds are now much As Pence was speaking in Turkey since the 1980s and Erdogan had stated on
The commander of Kurdish- more inclined to do what Ankara, U.S. troops were which Turkey, as well as the Wednesday that he would
led forces in Syria, Mazloum has to be done. Turkey is continuing to board air- U.S. and European Union, be undeterred by U.S.
Abdi, told Kurdish TV, "We much more inclined to do craft leaving northern Syr- designate as a terrorist or- sanctions. He said the fight-
will do whatever we can for what has to be done." ia. Officials said a couple ganization. ing would end only if Kurd-
the success of the cease- Trump seemed to endorse of hundred had already In fact, Turkey's foreign ish fighters abandoned
fire agreement." But one the Turkish aim of ridding departed, with hundreds minister rejected the term their weapons and retreat-
Kurdish official, Razan Hid- the Syrian side of the bor- more consolidated at a "cease-fire," saying that ed from positions near the
do, declared that Kurdish der of the Kurdish fighters few bases waiting to move would be possible only with Turkish border.
people would refuse to live whom Turkey deems to be out. a legitimate second party. Before the talks, the Kurds
under Turkish occupation. terrorists but who fought Sen. Lindsey Graham, a He suggested a "pause" in indicated they would ob-
Trump had no reservations, against IS on behalf of the Trump confidant who has fighting instead. ject to any agreement
hailing "a great day for civi- U.S. "They had to have it criticized the president's Pence and Secretary of along the lines of what was
lization." cleaned out," he said. pullout, said he thinks U.S. State Mike Pompeo, who announced by Pence. But
"Everybody agreed to Leading U.S. lawmakers troops will be needed as took part in the negotia- Pence maintained that the
things that three days ago were less pleased than part of an effort to imple- tions, lauded the deal. A U.S. had obtained "repeat-
they would have never Trump. Sen. Mitt Romney, ment and enforce a halt senior administration of- ed assurances from them
agreed to," he told report- the Republicans' presiden- to the fighting. "There's just ficial said the American that they'll be moving out."
ers. "That includes the Kurds. tial nominee in 2012, said no way around it," he said. team sensed a break- Trump's withdrawal of U.S.
"We need to maintain con- through, after listening to troops has been widely
trol of the skies" and work Erdogan repeatedly reject condemned, including by
with the Kurds. a ceasefire, when the Turk- Republican officials not
While the cease-fire ish president finally asked directly associated with
seemed likely to temporar- how long it would take to his administration. Repub-
ily slow legislation in Con- get the Kurdish fighters out licans and Democrats in
gress aimed at punishing of the so-called safe zone. the House, bitterly divided
Turkey and condemning The official, who spoke on over the Trump impeach-
Trump's U.S. troop with- condition of anonymity ment inquiry, banded to-
drawal, lawmakers gave to describe internal delib- gether Wednesday for an
no sign of completely drop- erations, said the U.S. was overwhelming 354-60 de-
ping the measures. in touch with the Kurds nunciation of the U.S. troop
Shortly before the an- throughout the negotia- withdrawal.
nouncement of the pause tions, including about the Trump has denied that his
in hostilities, Graham and speed of the withdrawal action provided a "green
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, and the need for a halt in light" for Turkey to move
D-Md., introduced legisla- Kurdish long-range artillery against the longtime U.S.
tion that would bar U.S. mili- fire into Turkey. battlefield partners or that
tary aid to Turkey, seek to But the agreement es- he was opening the way
curb foreign arms sales to sentially gives the Turks for a revival of the Islamic
Ankara and impose sanc- what they had sought to State group, new Russian
tions on top Turkish officials achieve with their military influence in the region
unless Turkey withdraws operation in the first place. and increased worldwide
its forces. Those sanctions After the Kurdish forces are doubts about U.S. faithful-
would include a report on cleared from the safe zone, ness to its allies.
Erdogan's family assets. Turkey has committed to a The White House released
In contrast with Pence's permanent cease-fire but is a letter on Wednesday in
description of a limited under no obligation to with- which Trump warned Er-
safe zone, the agreement draw its troops. In addition, dogan that the sanctions
would effectively create a the deal gives Turkey relief could destroy his economy
zone of control patrolled from sanctions the admin- and that the world "will look
by the Turkish military that istration had imposed and upon you forever as the
Ankara wants to stretch threatened to increase, devil if good things don't
for the entire border from meaning there will be no happen. Don't be a tough
the Euphrates River to the penalty for the operation. guy. Don't be a fool!"q