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Trump's "serious blunder" in Syria will rebuild ISIS
Turkey says it will begin its military offensive into Syria 'shortly'By Helen Regan, CNN
Updated 7:08 AM ET, Wed October 9, 2019
(CNN)Turkey's military is set to cross into northern Syria "shortly," the Turkish communications director said, as part of an impending offensive to move US-backed Kurdish forces away from its border.
"Turkish military, together with the Free Syrian Army, will cross the Turkish-Syrian border shortly," Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish government communications director tweeted from a verified account in the early hours of Wednesday morning from Istanbul.
The expected offensive comes days after US President Donald Trump provoked a storm of criticism, including within his own party, by announcing that US troops would be pulled back from the border area.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/09/politics/syria-turkey-invasion-intl-hnk/index.html?utm_source=CNN+Five+Things&utm_campaign=4bf22f3c0c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_10_09_08_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6da287d761-4bf22f3c0c-104928233
Leaving Syria is ‘knife in the back’ for Kurdish forces, Panetta says
Oct 7, 2019 6:52 PM EDT
In a recent PBS interview, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said:
Well, I think this is a serious foreign policy blunder that is going to undermine United States' leadership and further weaken our role in the world.
I mean, we're putting a knife in the back of the Kurds who basically fought alongside of us in trying to destroy the ISIS caliphate. And, in basically leaving the Kurds vulnerable, we have also opened up the possibility that Syria will go into the hands of Russia, Iran, and that ISIS will further strengthen itself.
So, from every aspect, I consider this to be a very serious blunder on the part of the president.
PBS newscaster Amna Nawaz asked:
Is there a good way to implement this decision? Is there a way to do this in a way that you think doesn't lead to a potential resurgence of ISIS forces or doesn't put our Kurdish allies on the ground at risk?
Well, there's no way to do it, when you basically give up the only leverage you have, which is the presence of U.S. troops in that region.
That's why the president reversed himself when he first made this decision back in December, and he retained our forces there. If our forces are there, then we can negotiate with Turkey, we can negotiate with Syria, we can negotiate with others in terms of how this transition ought to take place.
But once you immediately pull out U.S. forces without that preparation, you're essentially saying you're on your own, and Turkey is given an invitation to basically invade Syria.
Those are consequences that are going to hurt our credibility, the United States' credibility, with allies. We depend on allies. We depended on the Kurds to help us destroy the caliphate. To suddenly leave Syria and say to the Kurds, you're on your own, sends a signal to other allies not to trust the United States.
The complete interview is worth reading:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/leaving-syria-is-knife-in-the-back-for-kurdish-forces-panetta-says
Oct 7, 2019 6:52 PM EDT
In a recent PBS interview, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said:
Well, I think this is a serious foreign policy blunder that is going to undermine United States' leadership and further weaken our role in the world.
I mean, we're putting a knife in the back of the Kurds who basically fought alongside of us in trying to destroy the ISIS caliphate. And, in basically leaving the Kurds vulnerable, we have also opened up the possibility that Syria will go into the hands of Russia, Iran, and that ISIS will further strengthen itself.
So, from every aspect, I consider this to be a very serious blunder on the part of the president.
PBS newscaster Amna Nawaz asked:
Is there a good way to implement this decision? Is there a way to do this in a way that you think doesn't lead to a potential resurgence of ISIS forces or doesn't put our Kurdish allies on the ground at risk?
Well, there's no way to do it, when you basically give up the only leverage you have, which is the presence of U.S. troops in that region.
That's why the president reversed himself when he first made this decision back in December, and he retained our forces there. If our forces are there, then we can negotiate with Turkey, we can negotiate with Syria, we can negotiate with others in terms of how this transition ought to take place.
But once you immediately pull out U.S. forces without that preparation, you're essentially saying you're on your own, and Turkey is given an invitation to basically invade Syria.
Those are consequences that are going to hurt our credibility, the United States' credibility, with allies. We depend on allies. We depended on the Kurds to help us destroy the caliphate. To suddenly leave Syria and say to the Kurds, you're on your own, sends a signal to other allies not to trust the United States.
The complete interview is worth reading:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/leaving-syria-is-knife-in-the-back-for-kurdish-forces-panetta-says
ISIS considers the USA its primary enemy. Currently, the Kurds are detaining members of the terrorist group. Once they are freed, after Turkish forces destroy the Kurds, which nation do you think suicide bombers of ISIS will infiltrate and attack? Will an attack by ISIS create the "national emergency" Teflon Don keeps attempting to create to increase his power?
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