This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/20/syria-kurds-trump-troop-withdrawal-isis-turkey

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Syria's Kurds decry Trump's troop withdrawal announcement US Syria pullout draws praise from Putin and Kurdish condemnation
(about 1 hour later)
The Kurdish-led force that has done most of the ground fighting against Islamic State in its strongholds in Syria has condemned the White House decision to withdraw US troops from the country. The surprise White House decision to withdraw US forces from Syria has drawn praise from Russian president Vladimir Putin and condemnation from the Kurdish-led force that has done most of the ground fighting against Islamic State in its Syrian strongholds.
The decision will allow an Islamic State revival and threaten the battle in eastern Syria, with “dangerous implications for international stability,” the Syrian Democratic Forces said. “If the USA made that decision, then it’s the right one,” Putin said during a nationally-televised press conference on Thursday.
The Russian president repeated complaints that US troop deployments in Syria were “illegal” because they hadn’t been agreed upon with the Assad government. Putin added that he agreed with Donald Trump that a “serious blow” had been struck against Isis, saying: “Donald is right, I agree with him.”
Russia is a key ally of Assad, and its military intervention beginning in 2015 turned the tide of the war in his favour.
The response from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces struck the opposite tone. Any US withdrawal would allow an Isis revival and threaten the battle in eastern Syria, with “dangerous implications for international stability”, the SDF said.
The SDF, the US-led coalition’s main military partner on the ground, are being threatened with a cross-border offensive from Turkey, which sees them as indistinguishable from Kurdish Workers’ party militants inside Turkey. US support for the SDF has strained ties between the two allies.The SDF, the US-led coalition’s main military partner on the ground, are being threatened with a cross-border offensive from Turkey, which sees them as indistinguishable from Kurdish Workers’ party militants inside Turkey. US support for the SDF has strained ties between the two allies.
“The war against Islamic state has not ended and the Islamic State has not been defeated,” the SDF statement said. Any withdrawal would also “create a political and military vacuum in the area, leaving its people between the claws of hostile parties”, it added.“The war against Islamic state has not ended and the Islamic State has not been defeated,” the SDF statement said. Any withdrawal would also “create a political and military vacuum in the area, leaving its people between the claws of hostile parties”, it added.
Kurds in northern Syria said commanders and fighters met into the night, discussing their response to Wednesday’s surprise announcement, widely seen as an abandonment of a loyal ally.Kurds in northern Syria said commanders and fighters met into the night, discussing their response to Wednesday’s surprise announcement, widely seen as an abandonment of a loyal ally.
“We have every right to be afraid,” Arin Sheikmos, a Kurdish journalist and commentator, told Associated Press. “If the Americans pull out and leave us to the Turks or the [Syrian] regime, our destiny will be like the Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan in 1991. Neither the regime, nor Iran nor Turkey, will accept our presence here.”“We have every right to be afraid,” Arin Sheikmos, a Kurdish journalist and commentator, told Associated Press. “If the Americans pull out and leave us to the Turks or the [Syrian] regime, our destiny will be like the Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan in 1991. Neither the regime, nor Iran nor Turkey, will accept our presence here.”
Donald Trump’s order on Wednesday for a full, rapid withdrawal of over 2,000 US troops in Syria, and his declaration of victory over Isis, left Pentagon and state department officials scrambling to interpret an abrupt change in course from the US policy decided over the summer. At that point the policy was to keep forces in Syria to ensure the “enduring defeat of Isis” and act as a bulwark against Iranian influence.Donald Trump’s order on Wednesday for a full, rapid withdrawal of over 2,000 US troops in Syria, and his declaration of victory over Isis, left Pentagon and state department officials scrambling to interpret an abrupt change in course from the US policy decided over the summer. At that point the policy was to keep forces in Syria to ensure the “enduring defeat of Isis” and act as a bulwark against Iranian influence.
On Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency” – a claim at odds with his own administration’s assessments. In August this year, the Pentagon assessed there were still as many as 14,500 Isis fighters still in Syria.On Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency” – a claim at odds with his own administration’s assessments. In August this year, the Pentagon assessed there were still as many as 14,500 Isis fighters still in Syria.
Trump defended his decision on Thursday morning, tweeting: “Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I’ve been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer.”
He added: “Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild.”
Both the UK and France have troops in Syria and the UK’s junior defence minister, Tobias Ellwood, rejected Trump’s claim that Isis had been defeated in Syria. “I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive,” Ellwood said in a tweet.Both the UK and France have troops in Syria and the UK’s junior defence minister, Tobias Ellwood, rejected Trump’s claim that Isis had been defeated in Syria. “I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive,” Ellwood said in a tweet.
Later on Wednesday morning, the White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, put out a more nuanced statement saying that troop withdrawal marked the start of the “next phase” in the struggle with Isis, and suggested they could return if necessary. Reuters quoted a US official as saying the troop pullout would take between 60 and 100 days. Behind the scenes, the Pentagon leadership was still trying to persuade the president to accept a managed, more gradual withdrawal, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
After the Trump tweet and the White House statement, the state department cancelled a scheduled press briefing. After initially insisting that nothing had changed, the Pentagon put out its own statement echoing the White House language about the “next phase of the campaign” against Isis, but saying it had only “started the process” of withdrawal, and giving no timetable.
Reuters quoted a US official as saying the troop pullout would take between 60 and 100 days.
Behind the scenes, the Pentagon leadership was still trying to persuade the president to accept a managed, more gradual withdrawal, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
An abrupt US withdrawal would mean abandoning the Syrian Democratic Forces, Washington’s closest ally inside Syria.An abrupt US withdrawal would mean abandoning the Syrian Democratic Forces, Washington’s closest ally inside Syria.
Last week, the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey was on the verge of launching a military operation against the Kurds in northern Syria. Long frustrated by US support for Kurdish militias that Turkey views as terrorists, Erdoğan has threatened to push deeper into north-eastern Syria since sending Turkish forces into the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in February.Last week, the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey was on the verge of launching a military operation against the Kurds in northern Syria. Long frustrated by US support for Kurdish militias that Turkey views as terrorists, Erdoğan has threatened to push deeper into north-eastern Syria since sending Turkish forces into the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in February.
Has Isis been defeated in Syria, as Trump claims?Has Isis been defeated in Syria, as Trump claims?
Paramount for Turkey is countering any claims by the Kurds for autonomy and stopping any momentum stemming from their successful campaign against Isis, which it fears may amplify the Kurdish insurgency inside its own borders.Paramount for Turkey is countering any claims by the Kurds for autonomy and stopping any momentum stemming from their successful campaign against Isis, which it fears may amplify the Kurdish insurgency inside its own borders.
Washington and Ankara have been at odds throughout the US partnership with the Kurds, and Erdoğan has repeatedly threatened to send his forces to confront its Nato ally.Washington and Ankara have been at odds throughout the US partnership with the Kurds, and Erdoğan has repeatedly threatened to send his forces to confront its Nato ally.
Ties have been further strained by Donald Trump’s firm backing of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom Turkey accuses of ordering the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.Ties have been further strained by Donald Trump’s firm backing of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom Turkey accuses of ordering the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
KurdsKurds
Islamic StateIslamic State
SyriaSyria
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
Trump administrationTrump administration
US foreign policyUS foreign policy
TurkeyTurkey
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content