We’re not only abandoning the Kurds, but we’re doing it after we convinced them to deconstruct defensive fortifications aimed at deterring a Turkish incursion. The humanitarian cost will be huge, but so will the short and long-term strategic consequences.
What happens to the 70k radicalized ISIS family members living in al-Hol guarded by the Kurds when the fragile stability in the region melts down? The Kurds warned *3 days ago* that they were already strained on resources to control and defend the camp.
The idea that ISIS has been eradicated is a myth. Trump wants it to be true, but it isn’t.
What happens to those captured ISIS fighters? If you think they will all remain in captivity and Turkey will just seamlessly assume control/guard them, I have a bridge to sell you.
What happens to those captured ISIS fighters? If you think they will all remain in captivity and Turkey will just seamlessly assume control/guard them, I have a bridge to sell you.
(This, of course, is to say nothing if the latitude that withdrawing from the region will give to Iran, which is already using the security vacuums to attack Israel.)
And long-term, good luck convincing would-be allies to risk their own security—or anything for that matter—based on the assurances of the United States.
This is an absolute disaster of a decision on all fronts, and it’s what you get when you have a president that makes huge decisions based on the last person with whom he had a pleasant phone call.
