Trump allies in Congress assail decision to let Turkey attack Syrian Kurds
Lawmakers and presidential candidates are lambasting President Donald Trump for greenlighting Turkey’s offensive against Kurdish-held areas in northeastern Syria.
President Donald Trump’s green light on Sunday for Turkey to attack Kurdish-held areas in northeastern Syria has generated widespread condemnation from political allies and rivals alike on Capitol Hill while opening the door for Democratic presidential candidates to hit him on foreign policy.
Trump’s hawkish allies in Congress immediately warned that the decision to abandon the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would pave the way for the return of the Islamic State (IS) and asserted that withdrawing troops from the Turkish border is a boon for Iran and Russia.
One such ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., vowed to partner with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., to introduce legislation sanctioning Turkey and calling for its expulsion from NATO if Ankara moves ahead with its planned offensive. Graham also vowed to introduce a nonbinding resolution opposing the withdrawal, noting that he expects it to “receive strong bipartisan support.”
Shortly after Graham’s announcement, the SDF’s envoy in the United States, Sinam Mohamed, also called on the Senate to pass a resolution opposing the border withdrawal.
