How will US troop withdrawal from northern Syria affect Iraq?
The US troop withdrawal from northeastern Syria could lead to catastrophic consequences for Syrian Kurds while strengthening the Islamic State and destabilizing Iraq.
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — Following a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Oct. 6, Trump decided to withdraw US forces in Rojava (northeastern Syria), paving the way for Turkey to start its military operation to invade what has been a relatively stable region.
Erdogan announced Oct. 9 the start of Turkey's military operation “Peace Spring.” Meanwhile, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) issued a general mobilization call the same day for defending their territory against the Turkish invasion.
Kurds feel that they have been betrayed by the United States, and the Turkish incursion has already led to dozens of civilian casualties and displaced thousands; this could eventually lead to the massacre of thousands of innocent civilians and give a golden opportunity for militants from the Islamic State (IS, also referred to as ISIS) to regroup and destabilize not only large parts of Syria, but also Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
“The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial 'Caliphate,' will no longer be in the immediate area,” The White House said in an Oct. 6 statement.
