Trump abandons allies, clears path for Turkish assault on Kurds in Syria.
In an abrupt foreign policy shift that would leave American-backed Kurdish forces vulnerable, Donald Trump announced Sunday night that the U.S. military will withdraw from Syria in advance of a Turkish invasion. Lawmakers and commentators across the political spectrum condemned the move, which effectively clears the way for Erdogan to proceed with long-threatened plans to wipe out Kurdish fighters.
Trump defended the move Monday morning, tweeting that while the Kurdish forces fought alongside U.S. forces against ISIS, they were “paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so” and suggested that America had no responsibility to protect them. He also railed against “ridiculous Endless Wars” and blasted U.S. allies for treating America like a “sucker.”