Republicans Torn over Trump's Syria Decision

Reviews
President Trump decided to move his troops from Syria and give Turkey an open lane to them. Trump is trying to save American lives from a war that doesn't benefit us and can only hurt us if things get out of hand. The Washington Post makes it seem like this was a spur of the moment decision that almost no one in his party agrees with. It is split but not as much as they say. And this decision has been planned since December 2018, not merely the ravings of a lunatic as they would make you believe.
Common Facts
Definitions (3)
ISIS: The Islamic State
SDF: Syrian Democratic Forces
ISIS: Islamic State
Review Info (3)
First Published: 10/12/2019 10:26:43 pm
Last Updated: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Original Front Page Link
Washington Post
Content (8)
"After scheduling and then canceling negotiations with the Taliban at Camp David… the White House announced Sunday (10/6/19) night that the United States will leave northern Syria and apparently allow Turkey to invade."
"Turkey regards the Kurds as terrorists and is thought to have as much or more interest in targeting them as it does in continuing the fight against the Islamic State."
"Regular Trump critic Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) called it “a betrayal” of the Kurds."
“ 'If the President sticks with this retreat, he needs to know that this bad decision will likely result in the slaughter of allies who fought with us, including women and children,' Sasse said."
"But while Romney, Sasse and others have criticized Trump on many occasions, some top allies spoke out, too."
" 'Terrorists thousands of miles away can and will launch attacks against America, as the United States learned on September 11, 2001,' Cheney said. "
"Even former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, who picks her spots carefully when criticizing Trump, said the decision was tantamount to 'leaving [the Kurds] to die.' "
"Trump’s most striking critic, though, was one of his most loyal allies. Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) unleashed an extensive tweetstorm featuring dire predictions, including the revitalization of the Islamic State. He called the whole thing 'a disaster in the making.' "
Opinion (14)
"For the second time in one month, President Trump has made a foreign policy move that much of his party regards as unthinkable. "
"And for the second time in one month, it’s not clear Republicans know what to do about it. "
"Canceling negotiations with the Taliban at Camp David [happened] just shy of the 9/11 anniversary, no less."
"Opponents of the move, which are legion, regard it as an abandonment of America’s Kurdish allies, with whom the United States fought in northern Syria against the Islamic State for years. "
"Many high-profile Republicans spoke out Monday (10/7/19), and while some didn’t mention Trump directly, many rebuked him in no uncertain terms."
" 'The President’s decision to abandon our Kurd allies in the face of an assault by Turkey is a betrayal. It says that America is an unreliable ally; it facilitates ISIS resurgence; and it presages another humanitarian disaster.' " -Mitt Romney
"Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said the decision would probably lead to a 'slaughter.' "
"Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the No. 3 House Republican, called it a 'catastrophic mistake that puts our gains against ISIS at risk and threatens America’s national security.' "
" 'Pulling out of northern Syria ignores that painful lesson, represents an abandonment of our Kurdish allies despite their vital contributions to the fight against ISIS, emboldens Iran, and serves as an undeserved gift to the [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan] regime, which has only continued its steady march toward Moscow.' " -Cheney said
"Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) said it would 'be DISGRACEFUL if we sat idly by while Turkey slaughters the Kurds, as public reports suggest that Turkish leader Erdogan explicitly told President Trump he intends to do.' "
" 'We must always have the backs of our allies, if we expect them to have our back. The Kurds were instrumental in our successful fight against ISIS in Syria. Leaving them to die is a big mistake. #TurkeyIsNotOurFriend' " -@NikkiHaley on Twitter
"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said, 'A precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria would only benefit Russia, Iran and the Assad regime. And it would increase the risk that ISIS and other terrorist groups regroup.'"
" * Ensures ISIS comeback.
* Forces Kurds to align with Assad and Iran.
* Destroys Turkey’s relationship with U.S. Congress.
* Will be a stain on America’s honor for abandoning the Kurds." -@LindseyGrahamSC on Twitter
"I don’t know all the details regarding President Trump’s decision in northern Syria. In process of setting up phone call with Secretary Pompeo.
If press reports are accurate this is a disaster in the making." -@LindseyGrahamSC on Twitter
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 10/07/2019 12:00:00 am
Date Accessed: 10/13/2019 04:55:00 pm
Article Author: Aaon Blake
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The New Yorker
Content (9)
"The criticism of Donald Trump from Republican elected officials, when it finally came, this week, was scathing."
" John Shimkus, a Republican representative from Illinois who is not running for reëlection, said on Thursday that he was 'shocked, embarrassed, and angered' and no longer backs Trump as a result. "
"The barrage, however, had nothing to do with the story that has been convulsing Washington for the last few weeks."
"These Republicans—all of them ostensibly Russia hawks—were not objecting to Trump’s decision to hold hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine hostage in what appears to have been a transparent effort to force the country to investigate his possible 2020 rival, Joe Biden."
"Instead, the tough words for the President were unleashed over Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops and 'shamelessly' abandon the U.S.’s Kurdish allies in Syria (Graham, again), as another U.S. ally, Turkey, launched a military attack on them."
"Graham has said that impeachment over the Ukraine matter would be 'insane.' "
"On Thursday (10/10/19), at an event at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish think tank whose executive director has advised the Administration on foreign policy."
" I asked the former Trump national-security adviser H. R. McMaster whether it was appropriate for Trump to solicit foreign interference in the U.S. political process."
"The silence of the overwhelming majority of Republicans has been one of the signatures of Trump’s Washington."
Opinion (20)
"The President’s latest decision was 'terrible' (Will Hurd); 'shortsighted' and 'wrong'; (Adam Kinzinger); 'impossible to understand' and carried 'sickening' consequences (Liz Cheney)."
" The resulting 'damage to our reputation & national interest will be extraordinary and long lasting,' Marco Rubio tweeted."
“ 'Pull my name off the ‘I support Donald Trump’ list,' John Shimkus said."
"Even Lindsey Graham, the Trump critic turned cheerleader, got in on the act. 'I think he’s putting the nation at risk,' Graham told an interviewer, “and I think he’s putting his Presidency at risk. "
“Obviously, this is an area where, despite [Graham's ] relationship with the President, he’s decided to go full bore against one of Trump’s policies,” Senator Chris Van Hollen, the Democrat who teamed up with Graham on a tough new bill to sanction Turkey, told me.
"Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds is certainly an outrage, and a black mark on America’s national honor."
"But at this particular moment the Republican fury at the President over the decision seems like an almost incomprehensible act of hypocrisy. "
"How is it different from Trump’s threatened abandonment of the Ukrainians—and his apparent blackmailing of them for nakedly personal, political reasons? "
"Putting aside the potential high crimes and misdemeanors involved with Trump’s Ukraine play, isn’t countering Russia in an active war zone on Europe’s eastern flank at least as important a security interest for the United States?"
"How is it even controversial for a Republican member of Congress to say that congressionally appropriated military aid should not be contingent on demanding a political favor for the President?"
"The answer, of course, is politics. Ukraine is now the subject of an impeachment inquiry by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, therefore making it a matter for either resolute silence on the part of Republicans, or outraged defense of Trump."
" Liz Cheney has said that Trump’s wildly inappropriate phone call with the Ukrainian President, which was detailed in the White House’s own transcript, might have been a 'political setup.'"
"Neither has had much if anything to say about the emerging facts of the case involving Trump, which are already bad and getting worse."
"As Republicans on Capitol Hill see it, impeachment is an existential threat to President Trump—you are either with him or you are against him."
“ 'Of course no, absolutely not,' McMaster replied. Despite being fired by Trump last year, McMaster has hardly been a vocal public critic."
[McMaster] went on, “What has to happen here is seeing our democracy play out. And for the American people, through the representatives in Congress, to make a judgment as to whether or not that happened.”
"It was a simple, straightforward answer. But, so far, even that has been too much to expect from the elected Republican officials on Capitol Hill."
"But this week it was their speaking out that proved most revealing, both for what they said and for what they didn’t. "
"It may be tempting to dismiss it all as sound and fury, signifying not much of anything—this is Washington, after all—but, as we approach the fourth year of Trump’s Presidency, the reckoning, long deferred, seems to be upon the Republican Party."
"Silence, or token objections to Trump policies, will not work for much longer."
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 10/10/2019 12:00:00 am
Date Accessed: 10/13/2019 11:24:00 pm
Article Author: Susan B. Glasser
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News 18
Content (24)
"Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies attacked Kurdish militia in northeast Syria on Wednesday, pounding them with air strikes and artillery before starting a cross-border ground operation that could transform an eight-year-old war."
[Moving the troops] "….prompting denunciations from senior members of his own Republican Party who say he abandoned the Syrian Kurds, loyal allies of Washington."
" 'The Turkish Armed Forces and the Syrian National Army have launched the land operation into the east of the Euphrates river as part of the Operation Peace Spring,' the Turkish defense ministry tweeted after nightfall, following a day of pounding the area from the air."
"Turkish media reported troops entering Syria at four points, two of them close to the Syrian town of Tel Abyad and two close to Ras al Ain further east."
"Turkey told the United Nations Security Council in a letter seen by Reuters that its military operation would be 'proportionate, measured and responsible.' "
"The 15-member body will meet on Thursday to discuss Syria at the request of the five European members, Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and Poland."
"The 22-member Arab League said it will hold an emergency meeting on Saturday."
"Thousands of people fled Ras al Ain towards Hasaka province, held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). "
"The Turkish air strikes killed at least five civilians and three fighters from the SDF and wounded dozens of civilians, the SDF said."
"Reuters journalists at Akcakale on the Turkish side of the frontier watched as explosions struck Tel Abyad. "
"Explosions from Tel Abyad could be heard eight hours into the bombardment. A witness reached by telephone said civilians were fleeing en masse."
"After dark, the red flare of rockets could be seen fired across the border into Tel Abyad, and flames burned near the town."
"SDF fighters repelled a ground attack by Turkish troops in Tel Abyad, SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali said on Twitter."
"The assault on the Kurds – for years Washington's main allies on the ground in Syria – is potentially one of the biggest shifts in years in the Syrian war that has drawn in global and regional powers. "
"The Kurds played a leading role in capturing territory from Islamic State, and now hold the largest swathe of Syria outside of the hands of President Bashar al-Assad."
"Russia, Assad's strongest foreign ally, urged dialogue between Damascus and Syria's Kurds."
"Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday U.S. troops started to withdraw after a phone call he had with Trump."
"The SDF controls much of the territory that was once held by Islamic State and holds thousands of [ISIS] fighters and tens of thousands of their relatives in detention."
"The U.S. pullout has prompted concerns that some of those prisoners might escape in the chaos of the Turkish incursion."
"One of the prisons where ISIS detainees are held was struck by a Turkish air strike, the SDF said on Twitter."
"A U.S. official said the U.S. military had taken custody on Wednesday of two high-profile [ISIS] militants being held by Kurdish-led fighters and moved them out of Syria."
"The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the individuals were being held in a secure location but offered no further details."
"The SDF has halted operations against [ISIS] because of the Turkish offensive, two U.S. officials and a Kurdish source said."
"Turkey had been poised to enter northeast Syria since the U.S. troops who had been fighting alongside Kurdish-led forces against Islamic State started to leave."
Opinion (6)
"The assault began days after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled American troops out of the way, "
"Trump called the Turkish assault a 'bad idea' and said he did not endorse it. He said he expected Turkey to protect civilians and religious minorities and prevent a humanitarian crisis."
"But one of Trump's closest fellow Republican allies, Senator Lindsey Graham, said failing to support the Kurds would be 'the biggest mistake of his presidency' and unveiled a framework for sanctions on Turkey with Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen."
" 'While the Administration refuses to act against Turkey, I expect strong bipartisan support,' Graham said in a statement."
"Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican hawk, said: 'The U.S. is abandoning our ally the Kurds, who fought ISIS (Islamic State) on the ground and helped protect the U.S. homeland. This decision aids America’s adversaries, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, and paves the way for a resurgence of ISIS.' "
"Trump's decision was denounced by some Kurds as a 'stab in the back'."
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 10/10/2019 11:00:00 pm
Date Accessed: 10/14/2019 08:30:00 pm
Article Author: Reuters
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The Hill
Content (7)
"Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced Friday that Trump would sign an executive order giving the Treasury Department 'very significant' new sanctions authorities against Turkey. "
it’s unclear whether [Turkey's sactions] will be enough to placate Republicans on Capitol Hill. "
"Graham, alongside Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), is expected to introduce harsh sanctions against Turkey this week as a punishment for its incursion into northern Syria against the Kurds, longtime allies of the U.S. "
"But more and more Republicans are coming out in support of sanctions against Turkey, a NATO ally, as it bombs Kurds who were instrumental in the U.S.-led fight against ISIS, raising the possibility that Congress will pass veto-proof legislation rebuffing Trump’s foreign policy."
"As lawmakers craft bills, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley are scheduled to brief the Senate Armed Services Committee on Syria and 'the wider region' behind closed doors Thursday,(10/17/19) according to a committee notice."
"When the president said in December he would withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, there was an outcry from Republicans and the Senate passed an amendment warning against the withdrawal in a veto-proof 68-23 vote. Trump eventually walked back his plan."
[Trump] "administration has also sought to change the narrative."
Opinion (18)
"Congressional Republicans appear poised to hand President Trump a stinging rebuke of his Turkey and Syria policy when lawmakers return to Washington this week."
"GOP lawmakers, furious over Trump’s decision to withdraw troops to make way for a Turkish offensive against Kurdish allies, are preparing legislation that would force the administration to impose sanctions on Turkey."
"Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called the announcement 'welcome news,' "
"Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the administration needs to 'up their game.'"
“ 'We are witnessing ethnic cleansing in Syria by Turkey, the destruction of a reliable ally in the Kurds, and the reemergence of ISIS,' Graham tweeted after Friday’s (10/11/19) announcement."
“ 'The conditional sanctions announced today will be viewed by Turkey as a tepid response and will embolden Erdogan even more,' [Graham] added, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 'The Turkish government needs to know Congress will take a different path — passing crippling sanctions in a bipartisan fashion.' "
"It’s not yet known whether their bill will get a floor vote; a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Friday (10/11/19) he had no 'updates or guidance on this right now.' "
“ 'I want to co-sponsor that resolution,' Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), who is up for reelection next year, said in an interview with Fox News. 'We cannot have a supposed ally who is continuing to go in the wrong direction under Erdoğan's leadership, invading another country.' ”
“ 'We got to do our part in the Senate in order to hold Turkey accountable,' McSally added."
"Republicans are fuming after Trump decided to withdraw U.S. troops from northeast Syria, paving the way for Erdoğan to move forward with a long-threatened offensive against Syrian Kurdish forces."
"Ankara considers the Syrian Kurds terrorists connected with a Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey. But the United States partnered with the Kurds in the fight against ISIS and relied on them to do the most dangerous ground fighting."
"Lawmakers in both parties have called Trump’s decision a betrayal of the Kurds and one that will send a chilling signal to any country or group that might want to ally itself with the United States in the future."
"[Lawmakers] have also expressed concern that ISIS will take advantage of the chaos to escape from Kurdish-guarded prisons and regroup."
"While the condemnation has been bipartisan, the Republican criticism is particularly notable since it comes at a time when the GOP is vociferously defending Trump from House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry. "
"But Syria has riled up Republicans like no other issue during Trump’s presidency. "
"Amid the latest backlash, Trump has sought to distance himself from Turkey’s actions. On Thursday, (10/10/19) he raised the possibility of playing mediator between Turkey and the Kurds, despite the fact that Trump’s retreat and Turkey’s incursion unraveled the previous U.S.-mediated plan for a safe zone. "
“ 'We can mediate. I hope we can mediate,' Trump told reporters at the White House."
"A senior State Department official told reporters on a background call this past week that 'we gave them a very clear red light,' while Esper told reporters Friday that 'nobody greenlighted this operation' and insisted that 'we have not abandoned the Kurds.' "
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 10/13/2019 06:51:00 pm
Date Accessed: 10/16/2019 12:00:00 am
Article Author: Rebecca Kheel
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Politicus USA
Opinion (11)
"Republicans are blaming Democrats for impeaching Trump and causing him to endorse Turkey’s war crimes in Syria."
"Liz Cheney said on Fox and Friends, 'I think that what we’re seeing happen is going to have ramifications, not just in the Middle East, but around the world if our adversaries begin to sense weakness if our adversaries begin to think that we won’t defend our allies that we won’t defend our interests that’s provocative….' "
[Cheney said]" '… that the impeachment proceedings that are going on, and what the Democrats are doing themselves to try to weaken this president is part of this.' "
[Cheney said]"… 'It was not an accident that the Turks chose this moment to roll across the border, and I think the Democrats have got to pay very careful attention to the damage that they’re doing with the impeachment proceeding.' ”
"Eric Columbus on Twitter-
'Liz Cheney suggests Erdogan is attacking Kurds now because Trump is beset by impeachment. Instead of blaming Dems, maybe she should help get us a POTUS who can walk and chew gum at the same time?
And who doesn’t keep bragging about impeachable acts?' "
"It is not the fault of Democrats or impeachment that Trump decided to abandon US allies and give Erdogan free reign to invade Syria. Liz Cheney’s comments were just the opener."
"Get ready for Republicans to blame every bad thing that Trump does on Democrats and impeachment."
"There is much more to the story of Trump’s call with Erdogan than Liz Cheney is letting on. Erdogan didn’t call Trump out of the blue and say that he is invading Syria. "
"The invasion has Putin’s fingerprints all over it."
"The American people should be demanding to see the transcript of Trump’s call with Erdogan."
"Democrats and impeachment aren’t to blame for what is happening in Syria. The responsibility rests with Donald Trump and whatever secret promises that he made to Putin, Erdogan, and Assad on Syria."
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 10/14/2019 12:00:00 am
Date Accessed: 10/17/2019 12:00:00 am
Article Author: Jason Easley
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