Donald Trump announced Sunday night that U.S. military forces would be moved away from the Turkish border with northern Syria, as Turkey will begin the operation in a part of northeastern Syria where it wants to resettle Syrian refugees, which, in turn, makes U.S. forces unavailable to stop them.
According to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation, the U.S. was not given a large-scale withdrawal from the region remaining in a “wait and see” position. In a statement issued late Sunday, the White House said Turkey would “soon be moving forward” with its “long-planned operation” in northern Syria and that the United States wouldn’t be involved. The statement was issued after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with President Donald Trump earlier on Sunday, NBC News reports.
On Twitter, Trump tweeted,” “The Kurds fought with us, but were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so. They have been fighting Turkey for decades. I held off this fight for almost three years, but it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous endless wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home. We will fight where it is to our benefit, and only fight to win.”
A U.S. official with direct knowledge confirmed to NBC News on Monday that the U.S. military said the Turkish operation could be launched “at any time,” but American forces have not cut all ties and coordination with the Turkish military, so they don’t expect any advanced warning from Turkey in regards to when or how this operation will start.
This move is reportedly a slap in the face to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, as the U.S. heavily relied on its forces to fight against ISIS. Reports show the Kurds are shocked and angered by the decision. On Monday, Mustafa Bali, the official SDF spokesperson, told NBC News, the U.S. decision to stand aside as Turkey moves into Syria was “shocking and unexpected.”
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