Trump withdraws U.S. troops from Turkey-Syria border

2019-10-08 115

SYRIA — America's Kurdish allies have been left in the dust after Trump decided to suddenly up and withdraw U.S. Troops from Syria.

According to The Guardian, the U.S. and Turkey established an arrangement in August to carry out joint patrols along a 'safe zone' on the Turkey-Syria border and keep Turkish and Kurdish troops apart.

But on Monday, the U.S. began pulling its troops, leaving the Kurds to face a possible Turkish invasion alone.

Prior to the withdrawal, Turkey had proposed to extend the safe zone deeper in Syria to resettle non-Kurdish Syrian refugees there.

The plan was opposed by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Front, or SDF, who Turkey considers terrorists.

According to Reuters, U.S. withdrawal of troops and military vehicles from key positions on the border effectively gives Turkey a green light to move into the area.

On Monday, the Turkish defence ministry declared in a Twitter post that preparations for a possible military operation into Syria are completed.

SDF Spokesman Mustafa Bali accused the U.S. of leaving to turn the area into a warzone, but added that SDF will defend northeast Syria at all costs.

Trump's decision has received much backlash from both Republicans and Democrats.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it a threat to regional security, while Senate leader Mitch McConnell worried it might increase the risk of ISIS and other terrorist organizations regrouping.

Trump has also been accused of betraying the very same Kurdish fighters that helped defeat ISIS, and sending a dangerous message that U.S. partners aren't to be trusted. even as his administration.

According to The Guardian, the Trump administration had insisted it wasn't supporting a Turkish offensive. A senior administration official later claimed that troops were pulled back from the border, but won't be leaving Syria.

Instead, he says the soldiers will be redeployed to more secure positions inside the country.

Eventually, dear old Orange took it upon himself to hammer home his non-support of Turkey's invasion plans, threatening via tweet to "decimate Turkey's economy" if it does anything off-limits.