Posted on 10/16/2019 9:31:20 AM PDT by robowombat
President Trump said Wednesday that Turkeys offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria is not our problem, defending his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the region amid criticism.
"If Turkey goes into Syria, it is between Turkey and Syria. Its not our problem, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
Trump also downplayed the U.S. alliance with the Kurds, calling them no angels and saying the U.S. paid a lot of money for the Syrian Kurdish forces to fight alongside U.S. troops against ISIS.
Trumps remarks came as a U.S. delegation led by Vice President Mike Pence prepared to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara in an attempt to broker a ceasefire in the region.
The Kurds are much safer right now, but the Kurds know how to fight, and as I said, theyre not angels. Theyre not angels. You take a look but they fought with us. We paid a lot of money for them to fight with us, and thats OK, Trump said Wednesday in the Oval Office.
"If Russia wants to get involved with Syria, thats really up to them. They have a problem with Turkey. They have a problem at a border. Its not our border, we shouldnt be losing lives over it, Trump said later.
Trump has faced tremendous blowback over his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria as Turkey prepared to launch a military operation at the border, including harsh criticism from some of his Republican allies.
Many critics have argued that Trumps move effectively greenlit Ankara's operation and that the president abandoned Kurdish forces, a key U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS. Turkey has long viewed the Syrian Kurds as a terrorist group.
The decision has also raised concerns about the potential for large numbers of ISIS fighters detained in the region to be released, undoing much of the work by U.S. and other forces to contain the terror group.
Administration officials have rejected the notion that Trumps decision to pull back troops paved the way for the Turkish operation.
Trump has continued to defend his decision, saying he wants to get the U.S. out of endless wars. On Monday, he also announced sanctions on Turkey.
Trump also asserted that the situation on the Turkish border with Syria was strategically brilliant for the United States, pointing to the fact that the Kurds had struck a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for protection.
"So I view the situation on the Turkish border with Syria to be, for the United States, strategically brilliant. Our soldiers are out of there. Our soldiers are totally safe. Theyve got to work it out Syrias protecting the Kurds, thats good. And by the way, every player hates ISIS, Trump said.
Trump also at one point suggested that some ISIS fighters in the region had been released for effect to force the U.S. to return to the region.
Pence is traveling with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trumps new national security adviser, Robert OBrien, to Ankara to meet with Erdogan on Thursday in an attempt to broker a ceasefire in the region. The visit comes after Trump held a phone call with Erdogan earlier in the week.
Were watching and were negotiating and were trying to get Turkey to do the right thing, Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
Tensions between Trump and Republicans showed signs of easing following the announcement of sanctions and the ceasefire efforts. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a Trump ally who vocally criticized the pullback from northern Syria, has supported Trumps efforts on sanctions and a potential ceasefire.
-- Updated at 12:09 p.m.
Like this?
I wonder how many stridently pro-war posters here are or were employed by defense contractors, banking interests and the like. Making windfall profits off the backs of taxpayers, and labeling “unpatriotic” anyone who did not toe the line.
A distinction hardly mentioned.
Laura Ingraham @IngrahamAngle - @CNN and @NBCNews had to issue corrections bc the readout was WRONG.
https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle/status/1184571784324104192
Agree. There were 100 troops there in support roles? Where’s their “Force Protection.” They were sitting ducks. Now, if Trump sent in another battalion of Soldiers or Marines to support the Kurds, those bitches Pelosi, Schumer and Hoyer would have raised the roof. Hypocrites.
I was in The Persian Gulf War (Ops: Desert Shield - Desert Storm). We had a clear UN Mandate and with 31 other Nations. We got in, did the job, and got the fuck out. That’s how is supposed to happen.
Further, I remember a quote by the US Marine Captain and former SecNav for President Reagan, Jim Webb, from 1983 (?) when was 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point, NC. Webb said, as I best remember: “These people have been in a six-sided fight for the last six thousand years; why would we want to insert ourselves in the middle of their fights?”
Watched the whole thing and Trump is dead right.
Not our fight.
My belief also. The screaming from the media, K Street and the Pentagon will be deafening.
why should we pay in cash and blood for them ?
Israel created 1948. D-Day 1944.
Semper Fi
He is 100% correct. THIS is what I voted for, among other things.
The Syrian Army & Russia are protecting the Kurds & Turkey & its Jihadist proxies are getting their asses kicked.
A problem and a concern are two very different things. Do we have to go to war over every “concern”? People throw around the lives of people they don’t know very casually sometimes.
Trump is right. And I am sure most Americans agree with him.
Agree. _paying_ for endless wars with money from-thin-air. We are building our own slave quarters; DC funding about 50% of pogroms. And conspiring with _federal_reserve_ to conjure the other 50% from-thin-air, for un-chartable pogroms.
Amazingly evil tricks DC can do, if allowed to.
Bears repeating.
Amen.
Trump should start up an AVG like the Flying Tigers of WWII and let volunteers fly jets for the Kurds to protect their own land and airspace from the Turks and Iran and Russia. We have plenty of jets in the bone yard to sell to the Kurds at cheap prices as well as lots of bombs and missiles. Redue the All Volunteer Group again.
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