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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 8 OcTOber 2019
Continued from Front risk of sending a troubling
U.S. troops "will not support signal to American allies
or be involved in the opera- abroad.
tion" and "will no longer be Key Republican leaders in
in the immediate area," in Congress appeared taken
northern Syria, White House aback by the move.
press secretary Stephanie House Minority Leader Kev-
Grisham said in an unusual in McCarthy, R-Calif., said
late-Sunday statement that Monday in an appearance
was silent on the fate of on "Fox & Friends" that he
the Kurds. There are about had not spoken with Trump
1,000 U.S. troops in northern about the decision and
Syria, and a senior U.S. offi- had concerns.
cial said they will pull back "I want to make sure we
from the area — and po- keep our word for those
tentially depart the country who fight with us and help
entirely should widespread us," he said, adding that, "If
fighting break out between you make a commitment
Turkish and Kurdish forces. and somebody is fighting
The announcement fol- with you. America should
lowed a call between Pres- keep their word." In this image provided by Hawar News Agency, ANHA, U.S. military vehicles travel down a main
ident Donald Trump and One of the show's hosts, road in northeast Syria, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019 In this image provided by Hawar News Agency,
Erdogan, the White House Brian Kilmeade, asked Mc- ANHA, U.S. military vehicles travel down a main road in northeast Syria, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019.
said. Carthy to try to intervene Associated Press
The decision is a stark illus- and "call the president be-
tration of Trump's focus on fore it's too late." ing American troops from A Kurdish official speaking lieved that the U.S. would
ending American overseas Sen. Lindsey Graham, Syria but was met with on condition of anonym- go to war to save the Kurds,
entanglements — one of R-S.C., one of Trump's widespread condemna- ity because he's not au- but just hoped to put off
his key campaign promises. most vocal backers, also tion for abandoning Kurd- thorized to brief reporters that scenario.
But his goal of swift with- weighed in via tweet, say- ish allies to the Turkish as- said Monday they expect The official said U.S. leaders
drawals in Syria, Iraq and ing that, "If press reports are sault. The announcement a limited Turkish operation have spoken with the SDF
Afghanistan have been accurate this is a disaster in prompted the resignation and are still working to as- and that the group, which
stymied by concerns from the making." in protest of then-Defense certain what will happen has long fought alongside
U.S. officials and American Trump, meanwhile, tweet- Secretary Jim Mattis, and a with American forces in the the U.S. against IS, is disap-
allies about the dangerous ed a lengthy defense Mon- coordinated effort by then- region. The official said the pointed and angry.
voids that would remain. As day morning, writing in all- national security adviser view is that Kurdish-led forc- Mattis and other Pentagon
he faces an impeachment caps that, "WE WILL FIGHT John Bolton to try to pro- es have a legitimate right leaders had worried that
inquiry at home, Trump has WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, tect the Kurds. to self-defense. withdrawal would lead to
appeared more focused AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN." Since January, U.S. officials Turkey considers the Peo- a resurgence of IS in the
on making good on his po- In December, Trump an- have tried to broker the ple's Protection Units, or country, particularly if the
litical pledges, even at the nounced he was withdraw- creation of a "safe zone" YPG, an extension of the SDF abandon the prisons
in northern Syria to provide Kurdistan Workers' Party, or holding the fighters to bat-
a security buffer between PKK, which has waged an tle Turkey.
the Turkish military and insurgency against Turkey The White House statement
Kurdish forces, but Turkey for 35 years. Sunday said Turkey will take
has repeatedly objected A senior U.S. official said custody of foreign fight-
to its slow implementation. Sunday that American ers captured in the U.S.-
The White House an- troops will pull back from led campaign against the
nouncement Sunday came the security zone in north- Islamic State group who
a day after Erdogan of- eastern Syria, where they have been held by the
fered the strongest warning have been working with Kurdish forces supported by
yet of a unilateral military Turkish troops, to an un- the U.S.
operation into northeastern specified out-of-the-way Ambassador James Jef-
Syria, as the Turkish military location. There have been frey, the State Department
has been dispatching units U.S. troops around Manbij. envoy to the international
and defense equipment to The official added that if coalition fighting the Islam-
its border with the area. Turkey goes ahead with ic State group, and Trump
"We have given all kinds the incursion into Syria, it is have said the Kurds have
of warning regarding the expected to trigger a large custody of thousands of
(area) east of the Euphra- combat response from the captured Islamic State mili-
tes to the relevant par- SDF, and U.S. troops will al- tants. They include about
ties. We have acted with most certainly withdraw 2,500 highly dangerous for-
enough patience," Erdo- completely from Syria. The eign fighters from Europe
gan said. official spoke on condition and elsewhere whose na-
The Kurdish-led Syrian Dem- of anonymity to discuss in- tive countries have been
ocratic Forces threatened ternal deliberations. reluctant to take them
to respond forcefully to any U.S. defense leaders have back and another 10,000
Turkish incursion. long known that America or so captured fighters from
"We will not hesitate to turn would not get into an all- Syria and Iraq.
any unprovoked attack by out war with Turkey, a NATO Trump has repeatedly
Turkey into an all-out war ally. But that has been demanded that Euro-
on the entire border to stalled until now by aggres- pean countries, particu-
DEFEND ourselves and our sive negotiations by the larly France and Germany,
people," SDF spokesman U.S., urging Turkey against take back their citizens
Mustafa Bali tweeted Sat- invading. The official said who joined the militant
urday. senior leaders never be- organization.q