Here is a thing politicians 8,000 miles away from the fighting have never understood in 15 years of fighting in Iraq and Syria: The U.S. Army considers the Kurdish peshmerga an extension of itself. Much like individual platoons and companies are loyal to their interpreters.
American soldiers and Kurdish peshmerga have fought and died together fighting Ba'athists and ISIS.
The American people aren't loyal to the Kurds. Elected officials aren't loyal to the Kurds. But the Army is. And Mattis knows it. And Trump is going to have to deal with this now.
The American people aren't loyal to the Kurds. Elected officials aren't loyal to the Kurds. But the Army is. And Mattis knows it. And Trump is going to have to deal with this now.
What I'm talking about
