BY STAS MARGARONIS
Republicans in Congress are urging President Trump to reverse his decision to allow the Turkish attack on U.S. Kurdish allies, which could cause the release of 10,000 ISIS fighters from detention camps in Northern Syria.
Kurds Strike A Deal With Russia and Syria
The effect of the President’s action has led to a reported deal between the Kurds, Syria and Russia that may make the United States irrelevant in the Middle East.
On October 13th, the London-based Financial Times reported: “The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said it had agreed with the Damascus government that the Syrian army should enter the Kurdish-controlled territory and deploy along the Syrian-Turkish border. The aim was to protect Syria’s territorial integrity and “liberate areas entered by the Turkish army and its hired mercenaries” — a reference to Ankara-aligned Syrian rebels that oppose the regime.”
The newspaper explained that: “Mazloum Abdi, SDF commander-in-chief, said the Kurds were facing an “existential threat” from Ankara and would be forced to reconsider their alliances. “The Russians and the Syrian regime have made proposals that could save the lives of millions of people who live under our protection,” he wrote in an article published by Foreign Policy on Sunday night. He added that a deal with Moscow and Damascus would still entail “painful compromises”.”[1]
The newspaper went on to state: “The decision followed reports of a mass breakout from a Syrian camp housing women and children believed to be linked to Isis. The escapes will exacerbate international fears that the offensive launched by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, will foment a resurgence of the Sunni jihadi group because Kurdish fighters guarding them will divert resources to fending off the Turkish assault.”[2]
Trump Says ISIS Threat Is Europe’s Problem and Abandoning Allies Is Not a Problem
On October 10th, President Trump dismissed the threat of ISIS fighters escaping during the hostilities with Turkey. He said the ISIS fighters would probably go to Europe: “Well they’re going to be escaping to Europe, that’s where they want to go, they want to go back to their homes..” [3]
CBS News reported that Mr. Trump also said he wasn’t worried about the perceived abandonment of an ally making it more difficult for the U.S. to form military partnerships in the future. “Alliances are easy,” he said, adding: “With all of that being said, we like the Kurds.” [4]
Republican Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) condemned the invasion and appealed to President Trump to reverse his support of the Turks: “Pray for our Kurdish allies who have been shamelessly abandoned by the Trump Administration. This move ensures the reemergence of ISIS… I urge President Trump to change course while there is still time…”[5]
The national security concern for the United States is that President Trump’s support of the Turkish attack on the Kurds this week will allow imprisoned ISIS fighters to escape incarceration and set off a wave of new ISIS terror in Iraq, Europe and perhaps the United States.
Years of hard-won U.S. military gains in Iraq and Afghanistan could be undermined by what Republicans see as a betrayal of a long-standing U.S. ally, destroying U.S. credibility in the Middle East and around the world.
Other Republicans also condemned the Trump-supported Turkish invasion:
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.): “A Turkish military advance into Syria threatens to halt momentum against ISIS, directly assaults our SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) partners, and could give the likes of al-Qaeda and Iran new footholds in the region. Turkey should stop immediately and continue to work with the US to secure the region.”[6]
GOP House Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.): “News from Syria is sickening. Turkish troops preparing to invade Syria from the north, Russian-backed forces from the south, ISIS fighters attacking Raqqa. Impossible to understand why @realDonaldTrump is leaving America’s allies to be slaughtered and enabling the return of ISIS.”[7]
Greek-Americans Criticize Trump Move and Turkish Invasion
The Chairman of the Greek-American American Hellenic Council, Dr. James F. Dimitriou, said this week: “The American Hellenic Council strongly condemns the withdrawal of US Forces to allow the Turkish invasion of Syria. Open Turkish aggression can never be tolerated. The Syrian SDF forces fought with the United States to defeat the Islamic State and now face annihilation by the Turkish Army. Turkey’s move will create more instability and refugees into the Greek islands.”
Threat To Cyprus
Dimitriou also noted that Turkey may also be planning to invade the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. On October 10th, as the Turkish invasion continued in Syria, the Turkish Navy had practically encircled Cyprus with almost 20 vessels, including frigates and submarines.[8]
ISIS Fighters Escape
The fears of Republican lawmakers were validated by a news report of ISIS fighters escaping from incarceration:
On October 10th, The New York Times reported: “The Turkish invasion of Kurdish-held territory in northern Syria raised new fears of a resurgence of the Islamic State on Friday, as five militants escaped from a Kurdish-run prison.”[9]
[1] https://www.ft.com/content/8139b25e-eda6-11e9-ad1e-4367d8281195
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-turkey-syria-incursion-targeting-kurds-if-isis-prisoners-escape-europe-problem-2019-10-10/
[4] Ibid.
[5] https://www.axios.com/turkey-syria-kurds-republicans-lindsey-graham-trump-51a481a4-a31c-47ce-b0d2-c9c7bf741760.html
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] http://www.ekathimerini.com/245316/article/ekathimerini/news/concerns-as-turkish-navy-surrounds-cyprus
[9] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/world/middleeast/turkey-syria-kurds.html