As Trump disavows Kurds over WW2, Republican anger grows

Washington CNN — Republicans savaged President Donald Trump Wednesday for allowing Turkey to attack US allies in Syria as the President offered varying reasons for giving Turkey the green light, including the fact that Kurds did not fight alongside the US in World War II. Impossible to understand why @realDonaldTrump is leaving America’s allies to be slaughtered and enabling the return of ISIS.” Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio noted that “at request of this administration the Kurds served as the primary ground fighters against ISIS in Syria so U.S. troops wouldn’t have to.” Then, he charged, the administration “cut deal with Erdogan allowing him to wipe them out. “This invasion will ensure the resurgence of ISIS in Syria, embolden America’s enemies including Al Qaeda, Iran, and Russia, and launch yet another endless conflict in what had been, until today, one of the most safe and stable areas of Syria and a region experimenting with the best model of local governance currently available in that war-torn country.” Brad Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies – a veteran with 15 years active duty service – reflected the sentiment of many other Republicans CNN spoke with, describing the day as “a sickening and shameful moment in US history and I put that at the foot of the President.” ‘Millions have died’ Both Pentagon and State Department officials had advised Trump against making the move, arguing a US presence is needed to counter ISIS and keep Iran and Russia, both influential inside Syria, in check. Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement Wednesday that they were suspending military operations against ISIS in northern Syria following the “Turkish aggression.” On Sunday, after Trump’s phone call with Erdogan, the White House said US troops would move out the way and would not support or be involved in the operation. “They didn’t help us in the second World War, they didn’t help us with Normandy for example,” Trump said.